Pino Becomes Stellantis Motorsport Junior

FIA World Endurance Championship racer Nico Pino has become a member of Stellantis Motorsport’s young driver program.

The 19-year-old Chilean becomes the first member of a new scheme created by the multinational auto giant, whose motorsport activities include the Peugeot Hypercar program in the WEC and the DS Penske and Maserati MSG teams in Formula E.

Pino is understood to have already tested a DS-powered Formula E car and has been tipped to join Maserati for next month’s rookie test in Berlin.

Forging ties with Stellantis could also provide a pathway for him to become involved in Peugeot’s WEC squad in the future.

Stellantis Motorsport boss Jean-Marc Finot said: “We were immediately impressed by Nico Pino’s approach. He is versatile, and he has a great interest in our various activities.

“We will establish a testing program across different categories and will promote him, especially since South America is key for both Motorsport and the Stellantis Group. Nico Pino is our first step in a young driver program that we intend to expand.”

Pino’s main programs this year are in the WEC with McLaren LMGT3 squad United Autosports, for which he is also contesting the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, and in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series with Nielsen Racing.

“I am very proud to join Stellantis Motorsport and to have the opportunity to develop myself as a driver upon the different categories and manufacturers,” said Pino.

“Motorsport is a strong passion in Chile. I am looking forward to a challenging year full of opportunities!”