Nicolás Varrone to race in Formula 2 with Van Amersfoort Racing in 2026 | OneFootball

Van Amersfoort Racing has confirmed Nicolás Varrone as a main driver for the 2026 Formula 2 season, according to the team’s announcement published after negotiations closed the available seat. The 24-year-old driver from Ingeniero Maschwitz already tested an F2 car in Abu Dhabi in December 2024 and set the second-fastest time in that afternoon session. The signing was finalized when the seat became available and was supported by sponsors backing his budget.

F2 serves as a direct springboard to Formula 1, and in the past decade, several winners from the category have made the leap to the top tier, including Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Before joining Alpine in 2024, Franco Colapinto also competed in F1 after spending the first part of the season in F2. Varrone’s arrival adds further Argentine representation in the junior categories, alongside the expected presence of Mattia Colnaghi in F3 and the anticipated continuity of Colapinto at Alpine.

In 2025, Van Amersfoort Racing lined up John Bennett and Rafael Villagómez; Bennett scored just one point and Villagómez accumulated 29 points, results that placed the team 10th in the constructors’ championship, ahead of Trident. Varrone’s arrival aims to improve that performance in 2026. Varrone currently has 12 Super Licence points; to be eligible for a Formula 1 seat, he needs to reach 40 and complete 300 km at the wheel of an F1 car, requirements he will try to meet through tests and simulator hours.

Varrone began his career in karting at the age of 7, became regional champion in 2015, and then moved to Europe to compete in single-seater categories. He won in Formula Renault VDV Sports and in 2019 raced in British Formula 3, where he secured a victory before the pandemic interrupted his progress. His versatility in different types of cars helped consolidate his competitive profile despite early budget limitations.

In endurance racing, Varrone achieved significant results: he was WEC world champion in 2023 in the LMGTE Am class with a Corvette, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1000 Miles of Sebring. In 2025, he raced in the Hypercar class of the WEC at the wheel of a Porsche 963 for a private team, and in 2026 he will continue competing in IMSA with a Corvette, maintaining his connection with General Motors.

The team principal praised the arrival of the driver and indicated that, although the transition to Formula 2 will be a new challenge, they are confident that Varrone will adapt quickly and contribute a lot to the team. Nicolás will get back in an F2 car during the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi at the end of November 2025 and will complete pre-season testing before the start of the championship.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.