Pino Not Pinning Factory Drive Hopes on Porsche

Photo: Juergen Tap/Porsche

Nico Pino has made clear his target to drive for a factory Hypercar team in the FIA World Endurance Championship in future, but says he isn’t pinning his hopes on Porsche.

The Chilean driver joined the WEC’s top class this year as part of the lineup for the No. 99 Proton Competition Porsche 963 alongside Neel Jani and Nico Varrone after a season with the United Autosports squad in the LMGT3 class.

He has also been part of the Proton effort in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, participating in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Julien Andlauer used success in the Proton Porsche in the WEC last year as a springboard to a factory seat with Porsche Penske Motorsport for 2025, and Pino is hoping to make a similar move to a works outfit in the coming seasons.

However, he aims to attract attention not only from Porsche as he plots his future.

“Of course, being in a factory team is the aim, and to be in a competitive one,” Pino told Sportscar365. “In which category, I don’t mind, but the WEC is one of the three biggest in the world together with Formula 1 and Formula E.

“Being already in Hypercar in the WEC is a big step for my career, but I still have to perform to stay here. I’m 20 years old, I’m one of the youngest drivers in the paddock, so if I can do well here and make no mistakes, it can be a great opportunity.

“When you do well in a championship, when you have your shining moments, you can be recognized by everyone, not only by a certain factory.

“This year can always open new opportunities for the future, but where they come from, you never know in the end.”

Although the No. 99 Proton car endured a tough opening round of the season at Qatar, finishing four laps off the pace in 15th, Pino said he found the opener, including the pre-event Prologue test, a useful chance to fully acquaint himself with the 963.

He added the car’s pace gives him confidence of making an impact in the following rounds of the WEC at Imola and Spa, where Proton played a starring role last year.

“From a personal point of view, it was very positive,” said Pino. “I was at the same rhythm as the Penske Porsches throughout the race, even if because of the rules, last year was a Porsche [dominated] race and this year it was not.

“In Daytona we had some problems during the Roar and practice sessions, with the battery and suspension, different things, but in Qatar I could do plenty of laps and I had a lot of time to get familiar with the systems.

“Qatar and Imola are low degradation and they were difficult circuits for the team last year, but in Qatar we made a huge step from the start of the weekend to the race, and we had a good car. I think we can be competitive in the next races.”

Pino underlined that he has no interest in merely fighting Proton’s sole rival in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams, the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, and that he is using the works Porsches as a reference.

“Beating the No. 83 has never been the aim,” he said. “We are fighting in the whole championship, not just against the other privateer teams.

“There is always a political side that decides who is more competitive, that I cannot mention directly, but we always have the reference of the other Porsches, and we want to try and be ahead of them, and ideally have a podium, or even win a race.

“We know the car is able to, but we still need to work on it and make no mistakes as a team, and not throw away any opportunity that may present itself.”

Last year, Pino was named as a Stellantis Motorsport junior driver, which led to opportunities to sample Formula E and rally machinery, although he never drove the Peugeot 9X8 despite the French marque being part of the Stellantis umbrella.

However, a spokesperson for Peugeot told Sportscar365 during the Qatar weekend that Pino is no longer a junior driver for Stellantis.

Asked to clarify the matter, Pino said that a dialogue remains ongoing about where he may fit into the multinational automotive giant’s future plans.

“Now it should be the following step,” he said. “You should step up from junior to reserve driver and then ideally race driver. It depends on what options there are the following year. In the end, you always want to drive.

“I am still in contact with them, and it’s a great family within the team.”