Zak ends season with podium finish at Monza
Zak O’Sullivan rounded out his 2023 season with a fifth podium at Monza, leaving the year as the FIA F3 Vice Champion.
After a washout weekend with some misfortunes in Spa, Zak headed to Monza 4th in the standings with a shot at 2nd by the end of the weekend. A hectic qualifying session with drivers queuing up to get a slipstream caused many red flags but a solid banker lap at the start of the session would remain standing come the end and Zak would end up 6th, a solid starting position at the ‘Temple of Speed’.
Saturday’s Sprint Race would see action from start to finish with the Williams Academy Driver pushing his way up the pack challenging for the podium positions. Some unfortunate contact later in the race would affect the post-race results but with his near-championship rivals also out of the points, the battle for second was wide open heading into the final Feature Race of 2023.
Following the Sprint Race Zak Said: “Overall many positives to take away from this race, while the result is not what we deserved, I think we showed pace to run and challenge toward the front and this is something that I will carry into tomorrow”
A new day came and for the final time in 2023, it was race day! Starting from 6th and with competitors ahead, Zak was in need of a strong end to his season to secure 2nd in the series. A long race filled with Saftey car restarts would see Zak move forward battling hard for many laps with fellow countryman Taylor Barnard before a brilliant round-the-outside move from 4th to 2nd would see Zak hot on the tail of the leader heading into the second chicane. An attempted move for the win would sadly not come off but second, across the line would mean enough points to leave Monza FIA F3 Vice-Champion and secure his team Prema the teams’ title.
Following the race Zak had this to say: “Really nice to end the year on such a high and on this podium in front of the team! It has been a rollercoaster of a season but we made it and left as vice-champions. It is also so great to be team champions. It’s been a fun year”
So 2023 is done, and the focus changes to what’s next, a year will its challenges but also its successes. Equalling the victory record in FIA F3, Pole Position, and feature race win in Hungary, and becoming the first ever F3 winner in Australia. Onto 2024…