Nico Müller

Nico Müller
Nico Müller
	Müller in 2023
Nationality	Swiss
Born	25 February 1992 (age 32); Thun, Switzerland
Formula E career
Debut season	2019–20
Current team	Andretti
Racing licence	FIA Platinum
Car number	51
Former teams	Dragon / Penske, ABT CUPRA
Starts	33
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Poles	0
Fastest laps	2
Best finish	12th in 2023–24
Finished last season	12th (52 pts)
Previous series
2014–2022; 2012–2013; 2010–2011; 2009; 2008–09; 2008; 2008	DTM; World Series by Renault; GP3 Series; Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0; Swiss Formula Renault 2.0; Italian Formula Renault 2.0; Formula Renault 2.0 WEC
Championship titles
2009	Swiss Formula Renault 2.0

Nico Sebastian Müller^[1] (born 25 February 1992) is a Swiss professional racing driver currently competing in Formula E for Andretti Formula E.

Career

Karting

Müller began his karting career in 2004 and the following year, Müller finished sixth in the Bridgestone Cup Switzerland ICA Junior class. He improved to third place in the same competition in 2006 and also finished as runner-up in the Swiss Junior Championship. In 2007, he won the Bridgestone Cup Switzerland KF3 class, winning the title by a single point, and took fifth place in the Swiss KF3 championship.

Formula Renault 2.0

In 2008, Müller stepped up to single-seaters, racing in his native Formula Renault series for Jenzer Motorsport. In his first year in the category, he finished fifth, taking a victory at Spa-Francorchamps along with two other podium places. He also took part in selected races of both the Italian Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup series. In November of that year, he contested the Italian Formula Renault 2.0 Winter Series, which was held over two races at the Imola circuit. Müller took two podium places to finish third in the standings, behind Kazim Vasiliauskas and champion Daniel Mancinelli.^[2]

Müller remained in the Swiss Formula Renault 2.0 series in 2009 and wrapped up the title in dominant fashion, finishing on the podium in all twelve races, taking nine victories and nine pole positions.^[3]

He also contested a full season of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship with Jenzer Motorsport. He originally finished third in his début race in Barcelona, but was later promoted to second following the disqualification of race winner Albert Costa.^[4] During the season he took a further four points-scoring positions to finish eleventh in the championship, the third highest placed rookie driver.^[5]

GP3 Series

In 2010, Müller graduated to the new GP3 Series, continuing his long relationship with Jenzer Motorsport.^[6] He took his first victory in the category at the third round of the season in Valencia, winning the sprint race after starting from the front row of the grid.^[7] Another podium followed at the next round at Silverstone before he took his second win of the year with victory from pole position in the feature race at the Hungaroring.^[8]

A haul of nine points in the final round at Monza ensured that Müller finished the season third overall behind Robert Wickens and eventual champion Esteban Gutiérrez.^[9] Müller remained in the championship with Jenzer Motorsport for a second season in 2011.^[10]

World Rallycross

Müller competed in the 2017 World RX of France and the 2017 World RX of Latvia for the EKS RX team. He finished the events 17th and 6th respectively.

Sports car racing

In October 2017, it was announced that Müller would replace relief driver James Rossiter in the No. 26 G-Drive Racing Oreca 07, partnering regular drivers Roman Rusinov and Pierre Thiriet for the 6 Hours of Shanghai in November.^[11] He finished seventh after colliding with three cars during the course of the race.^[12] That month, Müller was entered into the 2017 FIA GT World Cup, driving an Audi R8 LMS with Audi Sport Team WRT,^[13] and was caught up in a first lap multi-car accident in the qualifying race.^[14] His car was repaired in time for the main race,^[14] but crashed out after hitting a car that spun ahead of him.^[15]

Other series

At the end of October 2009, Müller tested a Formula Renault 3.5 Series car for the first time, driving for Prema Powerteam at Motorland Aragón in Spain as a prize for winning the Swiss Formula Renault title.^[16] A week later, he took part in the first International Formula Master test session of the winter at the Hungaroring, finishing as the fastest driver on day one before taking second place the following day.^[17]^[18]

Formula E

Dragon / Penske Autosport (2019–2021)

Having acted as a development driver for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team for two seasons, Müller made his Formula E debut in the 2019–20 season, driving for GEOX Dragon alongside Brendon Hartley.^[19] His package proved to be largely uncompetitive, leading to the Swiss driver ending up 25th in the standings, lowest of all full-time competitors.

In 2021, Müller remained with the rebranded Dragon / Penske Autosport for another campaign in Formula E.^[20] He scored a number of points finishes, including a surprise podium during the Valencia ePrix, a race in which a myriad of drivers ran out of useable energy with mere minutes remaining.^[21] Müller eventually exited the series, being replaced by Joel Eriksson for the second half of the season.^[22]

ABT CUPRA Formula E Team (2023–2024)

2022–23 season

Müller returned to Formula E in 2023, joining the newly re-entered ABT CUPRA outfit for the start of the Gen3 era.^[23] The season began in disappointing fashion, with the team playing catch-up to its rivals due to their one-year hiatus from the series, which was compounded by the Swiss driver crashing during Race 2 in Diriyah.^[24]^[25] A first glimmer of hope materialised in Hyderabad, where a chaotic race with a plethora of retirements elevated Müller to eleventh at the finish, with him having set the fastest lap of the race.^[26] Three rounds later in Berlin, ABT profited from a wet qualifying session on Sunday to start on the front row, with Müller narrowly missing out on pole to teammate Robin Frijns.^[27] Hours later however, it would be Müller who scored the team's maiden top ten finish of the campaign, ending up ninth in a dry race.^[28] In Monaco, points were once again on the table until, with two laps remaining, Sam Bird crashed into the Swiss driver at Sainte Devote, costing Müller a ninth place in the process.^[29]^[30]

After two point-less events in Indonesia and the United States, Müller proceeded to have his most fruitful weekend of the season at the Rome ePrix: a large crash which eliminated a chunk of the field at the halfway mark of Saturday's race elevated Müller to the top ten, where he was able to consolidate in sixth position, taking home ABT's best result of the season.^[31]^[32] A day later, Müller finished tenth, getting the final points-paying position after a penalty for António Félix da Costa ahead. He ended the season in fine style, qualifying eighth for the final race at London and maintaining said place, thus jumping to 19th in the drivers' championship.^[33]

2023–24 season

Müller was retained by ABT CUPRA for the 2023–24 season, partnering a new teammate, former Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi.^[34] Following four scoreless races, the Swiss driver finished seventh at the inaugural Tokyo ePrix.^[35] At the next weekend in Misano, Müller took home ABT's best result since the team's return to Formula E with a fourth place, losing out on a podium to Nick Cassidy by less than a tenth of a second in the second race.^[36]^[37]

During the break between the Diriyah and São Paulo events, Müller tested for the Porsche Formula E Team.^[38]

Müller is set to leave ABT Cupra at the end of the season.^[39]

Andretti (2024–present)

2024–25 season

Müller is set to join the Andretti Formula E team for the 2024–25 Formula E World Championship, The Swiss driver will partner Season 9 Champion Jake Dennis at the American outfit, racing the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric.

"To work with Jake, a World Champion, is an honour. I'm going to give it my very best podiums and a first win is the target. I can't wait to get going" ^[40]

Racing record