YOUNG GUN COSTA TOPARIS STEPS CLOSER TO DREAM
Australia’s Costa Toparis is a driver to watch during the next few years, an exceptional talent that we don’t see every day.
Teenager Toparis has moved from his small home town of Goulburn, New South Wales to Farnham, Surrey in the United Kingdom to showcase his phenomenal driving talent as he continues his motor racing career.
Toparis tested in an F4 with Carlin at Pembrey in South Wales last month and was offered a position on at one of the world’s premier driving teams outside of F1.
The incredible opportunity means the youngster will be jumping straight into the hot seat with a busy schedule for the remainder of the year including; an intensive testing program with Carlin, the FIA Motorsport Games in France (representing Motorsport Australia and and the F4 support race at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix.
Toparis’ 2022 program will end with further testing at Rodin-Cars.com in New Zealand before returning to Australia for Christmas with his family.
Things will get even more serious in 2023 when Toparis will compete in the UAE F4 series in January/February just prior to his 16th birthday, in order to start the GB3 series which he aims to win – in his first season with Carlin.
Toparis has the objective to not only compete, but win at the highest level of the sport – the FIA Formula One Driver’s World Championship.
This intention has been bolstered by a smooth and impressive transition from Go-Karting to Formula Driving.
Toparis was crowned as the 2022 KA2 Australian Karting Champion, and a first foray into cars was aided by Garth Walden from GWR, who assisted a test in a Radical.
The teenager celebrated his 15th birthday by lining up for his first open wheel race, driving an F4 car against F3 cars and very experienced drivers, successfully earning his first pole position at Sydney Motorsport Park for AGI Sport.
Whilst Toparis’ first introduction to Formula 4 driving came from one of Australia’s most respected teams, AGI Sport, it wasn’t long before international team managers started presenting him with testing opportunities.
During the few months after Toparis’ first race in a Formula car, he continued to win races and break track records in Australia to lead the Formula Series, Formula 4 championship.
With international testing opportunities landing on his doorstep, Toparis remained grounded and focused on his training, Go-Kart racing, Formula 4 racing with AGI and his distance education program, based in Goulburn.
Coming from a small town in Australia with a very modest and humble family, Toparis has had to grow up fast to meet the demands of the motorsport world.
He manages his own distance education, training, mechanical work on his karts and often helps out in his family owned café.
Rodin-Cars.com car manufactuer founder, David Dicker, has seen Toparis drive in the flash and was instantly impressed, offering an opportunity to test in an F3 at the world class Rodin testing facility in Waiau, New Zealand. Although the weather conditions were not optimal, Costa stood out by breaking lap records in his first ever experience behind the wheel of an F3 car.
Immediately, Dicker recognised a special talent and offered to fund a testing day with Carlin in the UK. “I had no doubt that Costa would impress Carlin,” he said.
“He has the ability to perform under pressure and to get the job done.”
Carlin team manager and owner Trevor Carlin, is also excited to see what the Australian can achieve.
“I had a good feeling when I met Costa and observed his F4 testing in the UK,” he said.
“Upon reflection and discussion with David (Dicker) and Costa, we decided his driving ability would be better suited to commence his career with us in GB3’.
“Carlin and Rodin-Cars.com have agreed to support Costa’s pathway to Formula One.”
Some of today’s most successful drivers have passed through the doors of Carlin including F1 drivers; Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, among others. Former Carlin drivers add up to almost half of today’s current F1 field, and Toparis hopes he can follow down the similar path.
