| Niels Koolen | |
|---|---|
| _Koolen.jpg.webp) Koolen at the Red Bull Ring in 2023 | |
| Nationality |  Dutch | 
| Born | 25 May 2001 Vorden, Netherlands | 
| Related to | Kees Koolen (father) | 
| Indy NXT career | |
| Debut season | 2024 | 
| Current team | HMD Motorsports | 
| Car number | 33 | 
| Starts | 0 (0 entries) | 
| Best finish | TBD in 2024 | 
| Previous series | |
| 2023 2023 2023 2022 2022 | Formula Regional European Championship Formula Regional Middle East Championship Eurocup-3 Italian F4 Championship F4 Spanish Championship | 
Niels Koolen (born 25 May 2001) is a Dutch racing driver. He currently competes in Indy NXT driving the No. 33 for HMD Motorsports.[1] He is the son of rally raid driver and businessman Kees Koolen.
Career
Formula 4
After competing in karting prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Koolen, a relatively latecomer to single-seater racing aged 21, made his car racing debut in Round 6 of the 2022 F4 Spanish Championship, driving for Monlau Motorsport.[2][3] He also contested the final two rounds of the 2022 Italian F4 Championship, also with Monlau Motorsport, competing under a Belgian license.[4]
Formula Regional
Formula Regional European Championship
Following the 2022 season, Koolen partook in several Formula Regional European Championship tests, driving for Van Amersfoort Racing.[5]
Formula Regional Middle East Championship
On 5 January 2023, it was announced that Koolen would be driving for VAR-Pinnacle Motorsport in the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship.[6]
Racing record
Karting career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Position | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | SKUSA SuperNationals XX — X30 Junior | 2Wild Karting | 54th | 
| 2017 | SKUSA SuperNationals XXI — X30 Senior | 2Wild Karting | 54th | 
| 2018 | IAME Euro Series — X30 Senior | Evolution/Super B Batteries | 17th | 
| 2019 | IAME Series Benelux — X30 Senior | 33rd | |
| FIA Karting European Championship — OK | Team Evolution | ||
| IAME Euro Series — X30 Senior | 19th | ||
| IAME Winter Cup — X30 Senior | 16th | ||
| Sources:[7] | |||
Racing career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | F4 Spanish Championship | Monlau Motorsport | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† | 
| Italian F4 Championship | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42nd | ||
| 2023 | Formula Regional Middle East Championship | Pinnacle VAR | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31st | 
| Formula Regional European Championship | Van Amersfoort Racing | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37th | |
| Eurocup-3 | GRS Team | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25th | |
| 2024 | Indy NXT | HMD Motorsports | 
† As Koolen was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
Complete F4 Spanish Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Pos | Points | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Monlau Motorsport | ALG 1 | ALG 2 | ALG 3 | JER 1 | JER 2 | JER 3 | CRT 1 | CRT 2 | CRT 3 | SPA 1 | SPA 2 | SPA 3 | ARA 1 | ARA 2 | ARA 3 | NAV 1 26 | NAV 2 21 | NAV 3 20 | CAT 1 | CAT 2 | CAT 3 | NC† | 0 | 
Complete Italian F4 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | DC | Points | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Monlau Motorsport | IMO 1 | IMO 2 | IMO 3 | MIS 1 | MIS 2 | MIS 3 | SPA 1 | SPA 2 | SPA 3 | VLL 1 | VLL 2 | VLL 3 | RBR 1 | RBR 2 | RBR 3 | MNZ 1 17 | MNZ 2 30 | MNZ 3 C | MUG 1 Ret | MUG 2 Ret | MUG 3 28 | 42nd | 0 | 
Complete Formula Regional Middle East Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | DC | Points | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Pinnacle VAR | DUB1 1 22 | DUB1 2 22 | DUB1 3 21 | KUW1 1 12 | KUW1 2 21 | KUW1 3 21 | KUW2 1 20 | KUW2 2 21 | KUW2 3 22 | DUB2 1 22 | DUB2 2 Ret | DUB2 3 18 | ABU 1 20 | ABU 2 21 | ABU 3 14 | 31st | 0 | 
Complete Formula Regional European Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | DC | Points | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Van Amersfoort Racing | IMO 1 29 | IMO 2 19 | CAT 1 26 | CAT 2 29 | HUN 1 28 | HUN 2 Ret | SPA 1 29 | SPA 2 30 | MUG 1 24 | MUG 2 Ret | LEC 1 Ret | LEC 2 26 | RBR 1 27 | RBR 2 25 | MNZ 1 19 | MNZ 2 24 | ZAN 1 25 | ZAN 2 23 | HOC 1 | HOC 2 | 37th | 0 | 
Complete Eurocup-3 results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Points | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | GRS Team | SPA 1 | SPA 2 | ARA 1 | ARA 2 | MNZ 1 | MNZ 2 | ZAN 1 | ZAN 2 | JER 1 12 | JER 2 Ret | EST 1 WD | EST 2 WD | CRT 1 | CRT 2 | CAT 1 | CAT 2 | 25th | 0 | 
References
- ↑ "HMD Motorsports Adds Koolen to 2024 Lineup". IndyCar.com. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ↑ "Dutchman Niels Koolen Joins VAR / Monlau Alliance". Van Amersfoort Racing. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ↑ Wood, Ida (30 September 2022). "MSV wins tender to buy Navarra as Tsolov tops Spanish F4 test there". Formula Scout. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ↑ "Monza, the Italian F.4 Season Record is Topped Again". Italian F4. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ↑ Wolff, Perceval (26 December 2022). "FRECA: Who's going where in 2023? (updated)". Feeder Series. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ↑ Wood, Ida (5 January 2023). "VAR and Pinnacle Motorsport reveal line-ups for FRMEC and F4 tie-up". Formula Scout. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ↑ "Niels Koolen | Racing career profile | Driver Database". DriverDB. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
External links
Niels Koolen career summary at DriverDB.com