Team Impul team director Kazuki Hoshino explains…why the team chose Zak O’Sullivan for 2026 Super Formula season.
Team Impul prepares to head into the 2026 season with Zak O’Sullivan.
Kazuki Hoshino took over team director duties from his father, the legendary Kazuyoshi Hoshino…
In a recent conversation with Japan Racing Insider he expressed his excitement for the year ahead. Hoshino explains what attracted him to signing O’Sullivan….
“I was really looking forward to seeing how the car would perform with Zak at the wheel. From the end of the very first outing, he was smiling. He said the car felt comfortable and even from the out lap he could feel the grip. I was just happy to hear that the condition of the car was good, firstly.”
JK: What made you interested in signing O’Sullivan, and how would you rate his rookie season driving for Kondo Racing?
“There were two moments that really impressed me. The first was the 2024 rookie test….When Zak drove on the third day, you could immediately tell he was fast from his first outing. Kondo Racing tried many different drivers but even then Zak was the one who stood out. I was sure they would pick him for the seat and that’s how it turned out, so I was keeping an eye on him after that….
The second time he impressed me was qualifying at Autopolis….
Zak was on it straight away, he didn’t need to build up to it. It was like, ‘is this really his first time at this track?’ And Autopolis is a very difficult circuit, much like Suzuka, so that really surprised me as well. His results during the season were not great, but I knew that was not his real potential”
JK: What are your goals for the upcoming season…?
“It’s not like we’re only aiming for top-six finishes or something like that. Our goals don’t change. If you aren’t aiming to win, there’s no point in being here. We’re aiming to win together with Zak as early as possible….
If you look at the results [from the Suzuka test], it looks like we’re on the fringes of the top 10, but during the sessions….it felt as if we were always in the top five. Zak was impressive on used tyres, and from the moment he went out, he was always delivering 100 percent…Some drivers take it easy and save themselves for a big push at the end, but he would go out and extract the car’s potential immediately. I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait to see him do a proper time attack. It’s been a while since I have been this excited”