By Eddie LePine. Photos by Jack Webster/Ferrari
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ferrari factory driver and 2024 Le Mans winner Nicklas Nielsen in the paddock area at Road America recently, prior to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race on the beautiful Wisconsin circuit. We spoke of Le Mans, Ferrari and racing in IMSA among other things.
Only 27 years old, Nicklas has already distinguished himself as one of the most accomplished and fastest drivers in the sports car ranks. Since his professional debut in 2016 he has racked up 52 victories and 112 podiums in 173 races. In the FIA-WEC alone he has 11 wins and 19 podiums in 33 races, including being the overall winner in the Ferrari 499P at Le Mans this year.
Nielsen contemplates at Road America
Included in those FIA-WEC results are Three World Championships for AF Course: 2019-20 in LMGTE Am with Ferrari, the same car and result in 2021 and the LMP2 Championship in an Oreca, also for AF Corse.
Quite the resume for a 27-year-old race driver for whom the best is yet to come.
He was racing at Road America in the LMP2 class for AF Corse, coming off of his first IMSA win, an LMP2 class victory at the 6-Hours of Watkins Glen in June (right after his Le Mans win for Ferrari).
Nicklas had never seen or turned a lap before at Road America until testing a week before the IMSA race.
“I went straight from Le Mans to Watkins Glen and had another victory there, and so constantly on the run and now here at Road America.”
How does Nicklas like racing in the US and US circuits?
“I love, love tracks like Watkins. I think Road America reminds me a bit of Watkins Glen as well. Very high speed. A lot of grip and that’s the kind of track that I like. I love racing in America. I love the tracks; I love the crowds. High speed, with no track limits – if you go over the line, you’re in the wall. I like consequences for going over the limit. You need to be constantly on the limit – and it takes skills to be on the limit on a track like this.”
Road America T6
On winning Le Mans for Ferrari: “Ever since I started racing, it’s been a dream to win an overall victory at Le Mans, you know? And then I think for me to do it with Ferrari – it’s amazing. And then obviously to be the driver who finishes the race and bringing the car home to victory was amazing.”
Remember the drama of the door popping open on the 499P and the final dash to the finish, stretching the fuel, yet driving flat out? Nicklas does: “I never really panicked because the only thing I was focused on was just to basically win the race. That was the only thing I had on my mind. I just wanted to win. I told the guys before jumping in the car that there were two options – we win or we are not going to be on the podium! I tried to do my best and I had a few times where I was really on the edge, like once in the Porsche curves when I almost kissed the wall.”
Win Nicklas did, combining for the victory with co-drivers Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina, covering 311 laps of the historic Le Mans circuit.
Victory with Ferrari at Le Mans (Ferrari photo)
Even more special, Mr. Le Mans, 9-time Le Mans winner and fellow Danish driver Tom Kristensen greeted and congratulated Nicklas after the victory. With his win, Nicklas becomes only the third Danish driver to win Le Mans overall, along with Kristensen and John Nielsen (in the Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-12 in 1990).
It made a special victory even sweeter. “At the end of the day, we are the only three Danish drivers to have ever won an overall victory at Le Mans. I am extremely proud that he (Tom) came to say ‘good job’. And obviously I am joining an exclusive club with Tom and John. I am very happy and very proud to achieve this.”
Perhaps more IMSA racing is in Nicklas’ future? Might we might see the Ferrari 499P at some point at Daytona or Sebring?
Le Mans winning drivers (Ferrari photo)
“I hope so. I want to win Daytona overall with the 499 – it’s the only one I am missing. I won Spa 24 overall and then Le Mans.” (As he shows me his prized Le Mans Rolex watch) “I want to have the Daytona Rolex as well!”
Although there are no immediate plans for Ferrari to run the 499P in IMSA, we can hope. IMSA has become the gold standard for endurance sports car racing worldwide, and with the North American market being one of Ferrari’s largest , it makes sense for them to come and play here.
Follow the successful career of Nicklas Nielsen at the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Circuit of the Americas starting August 30th 2024!
See you at the races.
