Costa Toparis opted to make the daunting leap from racing go-karts to competing in the GB3 Championship for the 2023 season. Moving from Australia at just 16 years of age simultaneously, the odds have been against him. Yet, racing for Rodin Carlin, he has outperformed expectations despite his inexperience. Feeder Series sat down with Toparis to learn more about his rookie GB3 campaign.

By George Brabner

Not only has Toparis found his footing in one of GB3’s largest and most competitive grids to date, but he has also thrived given the conditions, taking a best qualifying position of third and finishing within the top eight on multiple occasions so far this season, notably at a drenched Silverstone in May.

Always bound to be a difficult season, Toparis is still in the earliest days of his career but is taking positives from his flashes of performance.

“It’s been a steep learning curve. Obviously, the competition is really high this year, I think, certainly higher than most years, in the GB3 Championship. So not only having the big step of the driving, the racing is so competitive. [I’ve] found it difficult, but we’re getting there,” Toparis told Feeder Series.

“Obviously, our qualifying pace has been showing this year and our average qualifying is P6, so to be up there right up against some British F4 winners, some Spanish F4 front runners, some Italian F4 front runners, like Alex Dunne, it’s really, really good and [I’m] really looking forward to what’s to come in the future.”

“I think at places we’ve really shown that we can be up there, not only with the top rookies, but with the top drivers. I think in the last two races that will continue – Zandvoort, a lot less people have driven there, a lot less people have done laps there – because I think it will tighten up a little bit more.”

The transition

The magnitude of graduating straight from the Australian karting scene to the pinnacle of British single-seater racing cannot be understated. 

Whilst many drivers opt to spend at least one season competing in a Formula 4-level series before moving up to a Formula 3 championship, Toparis had only minimal exposure to racing away from the karting track prior to the 2023 season, competing solely in a single-seater during the FIA Motorsport Games with a KCMG F4 chassis.

“Obviously, the thing is about being a rookie in this championship, lots of drivers do F4 before this and get experience at 80% of the tracks. You know where to overtake, the start procedure, what you do on safety car restarts, all those sorts of things, those factors help if you’ve been on the tracks before. Unfortunately, I haven’t. I’m not saying I’m disadvantaged, but I certainly have a lot less experience, not only in driving but at these tracks,” Toparis said.

“The biggest thing for me was moving from a mechanical grip car like a go-kart to Formula 3, which is full downforce, lots of ground effect, big diffuser, big wings, understanding the downforce, how to manipulate the car to your benefit.

“When you come to a place like Brands Hatch, aerodynamics, it’s so difficult to get that right over the lap. You’ve got to have so much speed, continuing that speed over the lap and keeping the platform flat, all these sorts of things are very difficult to learn and take time, and unfortunately, this sort of championship is only eight rounds,” he explained.

Data-driven

Toparis’ learning curve has been equally as steep off the track as it has been on it, but the young Aussie has taken on the challenge of GB3 with an open mind.

“We come from a point of go-karting where it’s basically mechanics, a little bit of engineering, but when you come into a category like Formula 3, there is so much engineering in it. There’s so much information that you have no idea about.

“You have to learn, you have to study, read books, listen to podcasts, listen to people, someone like Adrian Newey, you’ve got to read his book. How does aerodynamics work? How does engineering a car like that happen? 

“So you almost have to become an engineer yourself. You have to learn, ‘Okay, what’s the car actually doing underneath me? How can I make that benefit me?’ And then also the feedback, that’s very hard to learn. It can’t be judged by feelings, it has to be judged by facts, you know, ‘What is the car doing?’ and having confidence in yourself and having good feedback.

“So it’s a lot of work to develop. It’s a lot of work to progress and it’s so much more than people think. I’ve read probably over 10 books this year just on engineering when I’m not driving. So it’s very, very, very difficult to get that.”

Slotting in at Rodin Carlin

Part of the well-established Rodin Carlin team, Toparis’ GB3 seat brings with it a certain level of pressure. However, a double-edged sword, he has access to a wide network of support which is crucial for his development.

“So much history in that team, so much reputation that you feel like you need to keep that reputation going, so it’s not easy being a part of that team, but they do make it very welcoming. They try and help you as much as possible. They ask questions, they give you the answers. 

“Obviously, it’s a bit of a family sort of team. Everyone’s really trying to help each other and also it’s got all categories so you can learn off other drivers, not only in your category but the categories above which is a great tool. Especially over here, there’s such little track time to know that to go out there and practice every little bit of information you can get helps and having a team like that, there is so much information, so much knowledge, it really, really does develop you.”

Racing alongside championship leader Callum Voisin and second-year driver John Bennett, Toparis has also benefited from the support of his teammates, both of whom have been on unique journeys to GB3 themselves.

“It’s great that Callum is doing well in his second year, really at the front which is good. John really shows his pace at points and I think we do work together and I do learn off them for sure. Especially in the engineering debriefs, they try and bring up a few things that they do that also could help me and that seems to be quite rare in some teams.

“It’s very nice to have that sort of relationship where you can ask questions and you can get answers.”

Balancing racing and reality

Away from the session-to-session focus, it’s not at all uncommon for drivers to direct their personal resources away from the track in their younger years to aid a potential career outside of racing. 

Toparis’ monumental leap from karting to GB3, which requires an intense level of physical and knowledge-based work, has still got to be managed in the same way as everyone else.

“I run somewhere around 60-70 kilometres or so, five, six times sometimes a week in the gym, all those sorts of things are very, very hard to do,” he explained.

“Plus schooling, obviously you can’t just quit school at 16. You’ve got to keep learning about the real world, and then after that, you’ve got to learn how to drive fast. To drive fast, you’ve got to learn engineering, you’ve got to learn mechanics, you’ve got to learn everything that goes into racing. Not just you turning the steering wheel and pushing some pedals… it’s continuous, it’s tough. 

“But if it was easy, everybody would be doing it.”

Moving across the globe

Equally, moving from Australia to the UK poses its own challenges. Whilst racing drivers are professionals who show a maturity far above the expectations of their age, nothing can change the fact that Toparis is still a 16-year-old who has moved 15,000 kilometres away from home to pursue his dream.

“It’s difficult, especially living over here is so much different. Australia has so much more space… you know, those sorts of factors make you think, ‘Well, it’s really not like home,’ even though we speak the same language, we talk the same talk. The culture is quite different and that’s quite difficult to get used to, especially at my age, 16, coming over so young, and some people have come over even younger. It’s very difficult. It’s also been a mental challenge,” he explained.

In light of his own journey and the success of drivers from both Down Under and nearby New Zealand in Formula 1 and INDYCAR, Toparis hopes there can be more aid for young Aussie and Kiwi talent looking to establish their presence in Europe.

“Hopefully soon we get a bit more support for young Aussies or Kiwis who travel such a far distance to come over and help them not only settle in physically, driving wise, but mentally and in their homes… that sort of thing would be good.”

The mental game

As if moving across the globe to race in regional F3 wasn’t enough weight on his shoulders, Toparis also suffered the tragic death of his father in the early stages of the year. Therefore, mentality has been a key focus of Toparis’ transition to GB3, learning how to focus on performance amidst a hurricane of pressure and emotion.

“There’s so many emotions that go into it, obviously I lost my Dad. Your mind gets so full of information, not only from driving, but the stress and pressure because it’s the best of the best here. We’re not just some kids in our backyards racing, we’re here, people come from all across the world and it’s difficult,” he explained.

“I try and separate myself from the paddock, separate myself from the world before I go out, try and calm down, whether it’s with music, just being in my own space, that’s what I try and do to calm myself down in a place of almost inner peace. It’s difficult for sure, but I think I’m getting better at it. 

“Lots of people have that sort of procedure to separate themselves and, for sure, as we get one challenge, another one pops up, you know, we finish one, another one pops up.

“[I will] certainly try and improve on that in the rest of this year, and then next year, try and go out in whatever championship I do and go and have that strong mentality to keep it together.”

Building from the season so far

The 2023 season is only the first part of the puzzle in Toparis’ single-seater career. 

Already on his schedule is a pair of Winter campaigns with current GB4 team Evans GP, whom Toparis will be racing with in the revived Formula Regional Asia series and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship, whilst he is also likely to be returning to GB3 in 2024.

“Going with Evans GP in the Formula Regional Asian and the Formula Regional Middle East Championships certainly is going to be the best preparation for next year no matter what I do. 

“I think GB3 is more likely where I’ll be. I’ve done the championship once, I’ll come in here as a second-year driver [and] try and go in there to win the championship, or we might move to Europe, but there’s so many options out there… 

“But the main focus right now is to finish the season strong and try and get as much experience as possible this year, learn as much. The same in the two championships at the end of the year and the start of next year: learn, develop, [and be] ready to come into whatever championship I do,” Toparis said.

“It’s quite well known, if you can drive a British track fast, you can drive any track fast… I’m looking forward to continuing my path in Britain, but then moving over to Europe – obviously, the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships, that’s where they’re mainly based – and getting the best out those tracks as well.”

Header photo credit: Artie C Photo