Zak O’Sullivan, a member of the Williams Driver Academy, will make his Formula One debut at the wheel of an Aston Martin AMR21 on Tuesday at Silverstone.
O’Sullivan received the chance after taking home the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award in 2021. Winners of the competition receive a test drive in an F1 car, thanks to a long-standing partnership between McLaren and the prize.
In 2019, Aston Martin took its spot, and for the 2021 model, O’Sullivan battled Oliver Bearman, Jonny Edgar, and Louis Foster for the honor.
High-profile figures including David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti, Jenson Button, and George Russell have won the competition in the past; it has been running since 1989.
The AMR21, which Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll raced in the 2021 F1 season, will now be run by O’Sullivan. The 17-year-old competed in the 2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship on a full-time basis and finished 11th in the Drivers’ standings after earning two podium finishes.
He participated in the post-season test at Jerez where he tested alongside the champion team Prema Racing. O’Sullivan triumphed in the GB3 Championship in 2021, ranking first in the standings by a margin of 154 points.
