| Niels Koolen | |
|---|---|
![]() Koolen at the Red Bull Ring in 2023  | |
| Nationality | |
| 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
_Koolen.jpg.webp)