The former F1 junior looking to rejuvenate his career in Japan

Zak O’Sullivan’s junior career makes for impressive reading. The Briton finished in the top two of every full campaign in which he has raced, save for one. His first of two Formula 3 seasons in 2022 also marked his only campaign without a victory.

Although stepping up to Formula 2 last year had proven difficult before financial difficulties curtailed his season with ART Grand Prix, O’Sullivan had still managed to register two wins. His Monaco feature race triumph was made possible through a perfectly timed late-race incident – narrowly managing to enter the pitlane before the virtual safety car was displayed – and barely any racing was done in Spa’s rain-shortened sprint race, in which O’Sullivan converted pole. But he didn’t make mistakes and put together a strong drive to fourth in the Spa feature race to underline his pace that weekend.

That said, ART was not quite the force it had been in 2023 when champion Theo Pourchaire and rookie Victor Martins combined to deliver the teams’ title. With the competitive order shaken up by the introduction of the new Dallara F2 2024 chassis, expected title favourite Martins only won once and was never in the title hunt. O’Sullivan was actually ahead of Martins in the standings prior to Monza, which proved his final outing with ART before exiting F2.

Forced to look further afield for racing options, O’Sullivan embarked on December’s post-season Super Formula Suzuka test with Kondo Racing on a day reserved for rookies. It led to a full-time deal for 2025, lining up alongside reigning Super GT champion Kenta Yamashita. He joins 2019 Japanese Formula 3 champion Sacha Fenestraz (TOM’S), fresh from a stint with Nissan in Formula E, and former World Endurance Championship racer Oliver Rasmussen (Impul) among the ‘gaijin’ contingent.

“It’s very different,” 2021 GB3 champion O’Sullivan tells Autosport when comparing the F2 and Super Formula paddocks. “I think it just comes down to the fact that obviously, in Japan, this is their premier racing series, it’s their version of F1. So of course, there is a lot more attention than we get in F2.

“But I was a bit surprised even for a test how busy the paddocks were. There were pitlane walks for fans and even the grandstands were filling up, so it’s really cool. Of course, it’s always really nice to have support.”

In one image, O’Sullivan could be seen taking a moment to himself between transporters. But that wasn’t only a factor of the fan interest, since he reveals “I got the call-up for the test a day or two before, so I arrived really late to the track”.

In 2024 the worlds of F2 and Super Formula became somewhat intertwined, with Pourchaire heading to Japan while recently-crowned Super Formula and Super GT champion Ritomo Miyata moved in the opposite direction. While Pourchaire’s time with Impul came to an end after one weekend, when McLaren called him up to fill an IndyCar seat, Miyata found his first F2 campaign tough going. The Rodin driver finished 19th overall – three places behind O’Sullivan – with a brace of fifths in Melbourne his best results.

Conceding he maybe should have asked Miyata for advice before hopping into Super Formula’s Dallara SF24 for the first time, O’Sullivan explains that it is “very intuitive to drive” and immediately recognised “there’s a lot more downforce than what I was used to in F2”.

“There’s no real tyre-saving in the race, so you can push quite hard” Zak O’Sullivan

“The performance level is a lot closer to F1,” says O’Sullivan, who sampled a 2021 Aston Martin AMR21 as his prize for winning the 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award and appeared for Williams at the 2023 young driver test in Abu Dhabi. “Power steering in the car as well is a nice addition!” he adds.

“It didn’t take too long. The car is confidence-inspiring. Of course, there are always areas where in your first test you don’t quite get on top of, but I enjoyed the test and it was good fun to drive.”

On the tyres, having to get used to Yokohamas rubber rather than the Pirelli compounds with which he had spent the previous four years, O’Sullivan adds: “Most Pirellis do [fall apart quickly], unfortunately, but we get used to them and you learn to drive around the limitations.

“The main difference in Super Formula is that you’re down to a 13-inch wheel rim, which changes the dynamics of the car a lot, makes it more predictable and you have a slower buildup to maximum grip.

O’Sullivan has enjoyed getting to grips with the higher downforce afforded in Super Formula

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

“The main dynamic of the tyre is that it has got a very stiff sidewall to cope with the G-force of the cars, so it makes the grip quite binary either on or off, which takes a while to get used to. But it’s durable, there’s no real tyre-saving in the race, so you can push quite hard.”

Following O’Sullivan’s F2 exit, Williams sporting director Sven Smeets alluded to a “personal issue” between the driver and ART, commenting to Autosport: “I can’t really elaborate on that and it’s more of a question to them, what happened with ART.”

Giving his version of events, O’Sullivan explains: “It’s quite simple – I ran out of money to compete in F2. Perhaps the quote about issues with ART was that we couldn’t pay them, so there’s your issue.

“We all agreed to mutually part ways between ART and I, and it’s up to Williams who they put in the seat. Luke [Browning] got the seat in the end, but that’s pretty irrelevant. The main issue was that I couldn’t afford my F2 season. We split ways with ART and I’ve also split ways with Williams.

“I think it was a mutual agreement that there wasn’t a place for me in the Academy or any future plans, so it was best for both sides to part ways. But I have really enjoyed my three years there. I learned a lot and obviously, without their support, I would never have got to F2 level.”

Pressed on whether finances could prove problematic once more in 2025, O’Sullivan confirms that “it won’t be an issue at all”.

‘Five-year plans’ are in vogue, particularly in football whenever a new manager is signed, but O’Sullivan is coy on his own future and maintains that his on-track performances will ultimately dictate whether his long-term prospects lie in Japan.

It was announced this week that O’Sullivan will pair his Super Formula exploits with simulator duties for the Envision Formula E team, providing vital support for Robin Frijns and Sebastien Buemi. He will also complete a free practice session in Jeddah.

With finance not a concern racing for Kondo, O’Sullivan will be freed up to focus on driving

Photo by: Super Formula

“It’s definitely a consideration for me, of course, this year my main programme is Super Formula so my focus is to do as well as I can in that and have a good season,” O’Sullivan says of his Formula E duties.

“But also on the side, obviously my work with Envision, I want to learn as much as possible. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the car in Jeddah, so it’s definitely a viable career option.

“The session itself will provide a good opportunity for me to learn the car and I will also be making sure I spend as much time with the team as possible across the race week, so I absorb as much as I can.”

“I’m looking forward to being on some old-school tracks again. Obviously, being on the F1 package, you go to a few street circuits but it’s mainly wide open circuits, so it’ll be nice to be on something narrow again” Zak O’Sullivan

Now accustomed to the swathes of asphalt runoff that adorn modern grand prix venues, the driver who turns 20 next month is most excited about sampling layouts that evoke his earliest car racing experiences in the UK.

“I’m really looking forward to Sugo actually,” he reveals. “I spent three years racing in the UK at some really narrow tracks like Oulton Park and Brands GP, and I’ve seen some of the onboards there and it looks really cool.

“I’m looking forward to being on some old-school tracks again. Obviously, being on the F1 package, you go to a few street circuits but it’s mainly wide open circuits, so it’ll be nice to be on something narrow again. Also, in Japan the weather is quite variable, so I’m sure we’ll have some wet races.”

Whether or not the rain and UK-esque layouts can provide a home-from-home for O’Sullivan remains to be seen. But following in the footsteps of Geoff Lees and Richard Lyons to become only the third British champion in Japan’s top category is sure to be an enticing challenge.

Can returning to old-school style tracks in Japan help O’Sullivan rediscover the career momentum he lost in F2?

Photo by: Super Formula