Williams Racing Academy Driver Zak O’Sullivan realised a childhood dream last Friday as he participated in an official Formula 1 Free Practice session with Williams Racing.
The 18-year-old from Cheltenham got behind the wheel of the FW45 in place of full-time driver Alexander Albon, focusing on setup work to prepare the car for the final race of the 2023 season.
“To drive the FW45 in an official session was a real pleasure – really a ‘dream come true’ experience. Considering it was my first time driving at Yas Marina and driving the latest specification F1 cars, I’m really happy with how the session went. A huge thank you once again to Williams Racing for the opportunity.”
Following his FP1 experience, Zak spent the full weekend embedded with the Williams Racing team, shadowing the live track sessions, engineering briefings and media engagements. He also contributed to F1 TV’s coverage of the race weekend, featuring several times alongside Will Buxton, Laura Winter and Lawrence Baretto.
Zak returns to the track on Tuesday 28th November for a post-season rookie test with the team, sharing duties with fellow Williams Academy member Franco Colapinto.
Ahead of the test, Zak said:
“Driving the FW45 again so soon after FP1 is fantastic. We’ve identified some areas to develop further, both in myself and the car, so I’m looking forward to building on my experience with the team.”