Nicolas Kiesa is a Danish former racing driver of Italian descent who made a brief but respectable appearance in F1. Best known for his reliability and consistency during his five Grand Prix starts, Kiesa also gained recognition in junior categories—most notably for his win at Monaco in the 2003 Formula 3000 season, thanks to one of the most famous last-lap errors in racing history
| Nationality | Danish |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 March 1978 Copenhagen, Denmark |
Formula One Career
Minardi Debut and Five-Race Run: 2003
Kiesa made his Formula One debut midway through the 2003 season, stepping in at Minardi following Justin Wilson’s promotion to Jaguar. His first race came at the 2003 German Grand Prix in Hockenheim, where he delivered a composed drive to 12th place.
He went on to contest the final five rounds of the season and earned a reputation for consistency by finishing every race—a rare achievement for a Minardi driver in that era. His best result came at the 2003 United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis, where he finished 11th.
While he never outqualified teammate Jos Verstappen, Kiesa’s ability to bring the car home and avoid errors spoke to his professionalism behind the wheel. However, he scored no championship points, and did not return to the grid in 2004.
Return as Jordan’s Third Driver: 2005
Kiesa made a quiet return to the Formula One paddock in 2005, taking over as Jordan’s third driver from Robert Doornbos at the 2005 German Grand Prix. He continued in the testing role for the remainder of the season, providing support and development feedback as the team navigated its final year before becoming Midland F1.
Nicolas Kiesa Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Minardi, Jordan (Test Driver) |
| Entries | 5 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2003 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2003 Japanese Grand Prix |
Nicolas Kiesa Teammates
| 4 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gianmaria Bruni | 5 | 2003 | |
| Jos Verstappen | 5 | 2003 | |
| Tiago Monteiro | 7 | 2005 | |
| Narain Karthikeyan | 7 | 2005 |
Nicolas Kiesa Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Trust Minardi Cosworth | Minardi PS03 | Cosworth V10 | AUS | MAL | BRA | SMR | ESP | AUT | MON | CAN | EUR | FRA | GBR | GER 12 | HUN 13 | ITA 12 | USA 11 | JPN 16 | 23rd | 0 | |||
| 2005 | Jordan Grand Prix | Jordan EJ15 | Toyota V10 | AUS | MAL | BHR | SMR | ESP | MON | EUR | CAN | USA | FRA | GBR | GER TD | HUN TD | TUR TD | ITA TD | BEL TD | – | – | |||
| Jordan EJ15B | BRA TD | JPN | CHN TD | – | – |
