Nicolas Stati – runner up in the 2024 Formula 4 United States Championship – is aiming to get his 2025 motor racing year off to a winning start in New Zealand.
The Australian will compete in the five round international Castrol Toyota FR Oceania Championship with Kiwi Motorsport, continuing a successful partnership forged in the United States over the course of 2024.
Three wins from a 10 podium haul across the F4 US championship season capped a fine year for the Perth-based 16 year old, particularly as he was new to the car and the circuits used in the championship. He ultimately missed out on the title by just four and a half points to compatriot Daniel Quimby.
That followed a solid run in his domestic Australian F4 Championship earlier in the year where he took eight podium finishes on the way to another second overall.
He’s hoping that versatility and speed will stand him in good stead when he heads to New Zealand for the first round of the championship in January, commenting:
“I am looking forward to the CTFROC series and racing the Formula Regional car for the first time,” he said. “It’s going to be a competitive championship and a great way for me to start 2025.”
Stati is the latest in a long line of Australians to compete in the championship. Thomas Randle was the last Aussie to win the NZ title back in 2016.
Kiwi Motorsport boss Garry Orton reckons the youngster will enjoy the Toyota FT60 car as well as the challenging Kiwi race circuits which feature in New Zealand’s new NextGen motorsport series, adding:
“Nicolas drove for our Crosslink Kiwi team in F4 USA and had a great season in a very tight championship.
“Having a small mechanical issue in the last race cost Nicolas the 2024 championship but he held his head high. He proved he is a great driver to run under our new Kiwi Motorsport Chip Ganassi Racing development program and I look forward to watching him grow during CTFROC.”
The 2025 New Zealand championship will be the third as one of the official FIA global Formula Regional Championships. It has an incredible record of producing world class talent, with 26 drivers having tested, practiced or raced in the Formula 1 World Championship. Lando Norris, Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson are all former champions. Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto are also graduates of the Championship.
Countless others have achieved success in other formula, ranging from Supercars to Indycar and Le Mans prototypes to Formula E. 2024 Rookie Champion, Patrick Woods-Toth won the Formula Regional Americas title this season, while 2023 Race winner Louis Foster won the Indy Nxt Championship and has secured a full-time Indycar drive from 2025.
The season will see Nicolas race at the Taupo Motorsport Park, Hampton Downs and Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in New Zealand’s North Island, and Teretonga Raceway and the Highlands Motorsport Park – venue for the 2025 NZ Grand Prix – in the South Island.
Words & Images: Supplied
