Racing driver Zak O’Sullivan says it’s going to take one thing “larger” from the FIA to make Components 1 extra inexpensive for younger drivers to interrupt via into the game.
The 19-year-old was compelled to go away the Components 2 marketing campaign early in 2024 as a result of funding points, regardless of profitable a function 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 follow session on the Abu Dhabi GP in November 2023.
“It is at all times been an issue within the sport but it surely’s solely getting dearer,” O’Sullivan advised BBC Sport.
“Yearly I’ve carried out racing even when you do the identical championship twice, the following 12 months it finally ends up being dearer as a result of persons are simply charging increasingly more.
“Clearly, I form of fell foul of it but it surely’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 effectively.
“It might take one thing far larger, one thing from the governing physique, to vary 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 12 months 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 wish 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 12 months financially but it surely 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 exhausting 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 shall be taking up a brand new problem, competing in Japan’s Tremendous Components collection for the Toyota-backed Kondo Racing workforce.
The 12-race collection takes place over seven weekends from March to November.
O’Sullivan stated they’re the “closest” automobiles he can race to an F1 automobile – Liam Lawson who is ready 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 extremely extremely popular with the followers, purely Japanese primarily based so there’s solely seven races all on Japanese circuits, all Japanese groups and drivers bar two – so it is a massive tradition shock for me,” O’Sullivan stated.
“I’ve acquired plenty 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.
Nevertheless 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 12 months however hopefully some extra doorways will open and I can hold my foot in as many doorways as I can to provide myself some alternatives.”
