Racing driver Zak O’Sullivan says it should take one thing “greater” from the FIA to make Components 1 extra inexpensive for younger drivers to interrupt via into the game.
The 19-year-old was pressured to go away the Components 2 marketing campaign early in 2024 attributable to funding points, regardless of profitable a characteristic race in Monaco and the dash race in Spa-Francorchamps.
O’Sullivan was a part of Williams’ academy for the previous two years and in addition drove an FW45 Components 1 automobile throughout a apply session on the Abu Dhabi GP in November 2023.
“It is all the time been an issue within the sport however it’s solely getting costlier,” O’Sullivan informed BBC Sport.
“Yearly I’ve accomplished racing even if you happen to do the identical championship twice, the subsequent yr it finally ends up being costlier as a result of individuals are simply charging increasingly more.
“Clearly, I type of fell foul of it however it’s simple for me to take a seat right here and say one thing must be modified however in actuality the groups are simply attempting to maintain themselves afloat as nicely.
“It might take one thing far greater, one thing from the governing physique, to alter it. Till that occurs, the state of affairs will not change.”
O’Sullivan, from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, received the British Components 4 championship in 2020 and GB3 Championship a yr later.
Throughout two years racing Components 3 he received 4 races and completed second within the total championship, earlier than shifting as much as F2 in 2024, progressing via the junior ranks.
All younger drivers, he stated, know they’re anticipated to fund big prices in the event that they need to compete within the sport.
“There are some measures in place to assist out with that funding however on the finish of the day it comes from household cash and if you cannot afford it, you possibly can’t afford it,” O’Sullivan added.
“Sadly for me we knew it was going to be a really tough yr financially however it got here to a head in August. We lasted some time however not lengthy sufficient.
“It is the best way the game is and we actually tried laborious to get as many individuals on board as we might to attempt to fill the gaps however sadly it wasn’t sufficient.”
In 2025, O’Sullivan can be taking over a brand new problem, competing in Japan’s Tremendous Components collection for the Toyota-backed Kondo Racing group.
The 12-race collection takes place over seven weekends from March to November.
O’Sullivan stated they’re the “closest” vehicles he can race to an F1 automobile – Liam Lawson who is about to race with Purple Bull in F1 this season, completed second total within the 2023 Tremendous Components championship.
“For them it is their F1 in Japan – it’s totally very talked-about with the followers, purely Japanese based mostly so there’s solely seven races all on Japanese circuits, all Japanese groups and drivers bar two – so it is a huge tradition shock for me,” O’Sullivan stated.
“I’ve obtained quite a lot of studying to do, I’ve set to work on my communication in Japanese, I am actually trying ahead to it.”
O’Sullivan’s expertise via the junior system may not have turned out fairly as linear in shifting him up the ranks from F3, to F2 and the game’s pinnacle of F1.
Nonetheless his ambition stays to make it to Components 1. “Clearly, I am nonetheless pushing for that,” he stated.
“It is a good begin for me, there’s potential for a profession in Japan if I do a superb job this yr however hopefully some extra doorways will open and I can maintain my foot in as many doorways as I can to provide myself some alternatives.”
