Phillippe Nicolas

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Phillippe Nicolas
Nationality Template:FRA French
Born 11 April, 1990
Marseilles, France
Current Team Template:AUS/Flag of Germany svg.png Melrose Racing Team
Car Number 7
Former Teams Template:GBR Kingfisher Racing
Flag of Canada svg.png ArrowTech
Template:AUS Dacia
Races 94 (87 starts)
Championships 0
Victories 9
Podiums 21
Points 190
Pole Positions 11
Fastest Laps 4
First Race 2012 Indianapolis 500
First Victory 2014 Tasman Grand Prix
Last Victory 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last Race 2018 Argentine Grand Prix (Ongoing)
Best Finish 2nd (2014)


Phillippe Nicolas (Born 11th April 1990 in Marseilles, France) is a French racing driver most famous for his time in the Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series driving for Melrose Racing Team which is run by Former Formula One World Champion Daniel Melrose.

F1RWRS Career

2012-Present - Melrose Racing Team

Nicolas was initially signed on as MRT's test and development driver in the F1RWRS and was touted as a possible replacement for outgoing MRT driver Jeroen Krautmeir before the team signed on 2011 champion Nathanael Spencer. Nicolas got his debut at the season ending Budweiser 500, deputising for the injured team boss Melrose. Whilst he got involved in a mid-race pileup, the Frenchman was consistent around the Brickyard and ended up finishing 18th on the road but 5 laps down.

2013 was Nicolas' first full season for the team, replacing Melrose on a full time basis as he joined the ArrowTech ART outfit. Whilst the MRT M4 was a fundamentally good chassis, the all new BMW powerplant that went with it proved to be a disaster and Nicolas only scored 2 points all year from a pair of 6th places at Bathurst, where MRT scored 3 of their 4 points of the year, and Monaco where the MRT was genuinely competitive. While he may have ultimately been beaten by teammate Nathanael Spencer, another new MRT driver, he was often fairly close to the former F1RWRS champion and received praise as a result. Nicolas was rested for the United States Grand Prix when he made way for the money from Spanish-American debutant Vidal Reyna-Sanchez came knocking on the door of MRT.

Nicolas stayed on for a third season at the team for 2014 alongside Spencer while MRT gave both drivers a much better car than the previous season. So good in fact that it turned out to be the best car in the field and Nicolas found a new level in his driving to consistently take his highly rated teammate to the cleaners. Whilst he qualified behind Spencer in Adelaide for the Tasman Grand Prix, Nicolas picked up the pieces when Spencer's engine expired, giving the Frenchman his first race victory. This didn't last however as multiple engine failures from the new BMW powerplant meant that Nicolas didn't finish any of the next 4 races, losing vital ground to leader Mark Dagnall and teammate Spencer, who had found his feet again and taken home 2 more victories for MRT.

Complete F1RWRS Results

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 DC Pts
2012 Qantas Melrose Racing Team MRT M3B BMW P86/12 BAV SAX GER LUX BEL NED GBR KEN ENG TAS SUR NSW AUS CHN USA 500
18
27th 0
2013 Qantas Melrose Racing Team MRT M4 BMW P88 TAS
Ret
AUS
6
MEX
10
USA MON
6
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
NED
DNQ
BEL
DNQ
POR
Ret
MED
DNQ
MAC
DNQ
CHN
DNQ
JPN
16
BRA
DNQ
=24th 2
2014 Virgin Melrose Racing Team MRT M5 BMW P89 TAS
1
AUS
Ret
BRA
Ret
MEX
Ret
USA
Ret
MON FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
1
BEL
Ret
ITA
1
MED
Ret
NED
1
MAC
2
CHN
Ret
JPN
Ret
2nd 46
2015 Virgin Melrose Racing Team MRT M6 BMW P90 TAS
Ret
AUS
Ret
MED
2
MON
Ret
GBR
1
GER
Ret
BEL
Ret
AUT
Ret
ITA
Ret
NED
2
CHN
4
JPN
7
BRA
2
5th 31
Kingfisher Racing Kingfisher KR-002 Peugeot A7 MEX
DNQ
USA
Ret
CAN
Ret
2016 ArrowTech-Acuri Autosport ArrowTech AT-06 Gillet GV11 AUS
4
NSW
1
GBR
Ret
ITA
1
AUT
Ret
CAN
3
SUS
Ret
NUS
Ret
GER
5
NSE
5
MON
Ret
BEL
Ret
MEX
Ret
ARG
4
CHN
Ret
JPN
Ret
5th 35
2017 ArrowTech-Acuri Autosport ArrowTech AT-07 Gillet GV11B AUS
Ret
NSW
2
GBR
Ret
ITA
6
AUT
Ret
CAN
Ret
SUS
DNPQ
NUS
DNPQ
GER
3
NSE
3
BEL
Ret
MON
7
MOR
DNPQ
7th 22
Dacia F1RWRS Team Simpson DSM-030 Dacia RSXXI-17 ARG
4
JPN
6
CHN
Ret
2018 Dunlop Melrose Racing Team MRT M9 BMW P92 AUS
1
NSW
2
ITA
4
MAR
2
CAL
4
USA
Ret
CAN
5
GBR
3
AUT
EX
GER
2
SCA
Ret
BEL
Ret
MON
Ret
RSA
Ret
BRA
1
ARG
Ret
JPN
CHN
3rd* 54*