Zak O’Sullivan completes Prema’s driver line-up for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship.
The Williams junior competed in the series in 2022 with Carlin, coming 11th in the standings. He scored 54 points, made the podium twice at Silverstone’s feature race and Zandvoort’s sprint race, and also achieved Carlin’s first pole in the series.
Previusly, he was runner-up in the British Formula 4 championship in 2020 and was GB3 champion in 2021 with Carlin.
“I am really excited to be joining Prema for the 2023 FIA F3 season,” declared O’Sullivan. “It will be a new environment for me, but Prema’s history says all we need to know, so hopefully, we can have a good year together.
“The first impressions in testing were good, and the pace was pretty strong. I was still learning the car as there are a few differences, getting to know all the team and the engineers, and learning some Italian as well.”
O’Sullivan joined Prema for the official post-season FIA F3 test at Jerez in September, and committed to a second season in the championship after missing out on a Formula 2 seat he had been aiming for.
“We are particularly looking forward to working with Zak,” Prema’s team principal Rene Rosin commented. “We are impressed by what he achieved in his maiden FIA F3 season and his career so far.
“He will bring in his experience, which is something we always really value, and he already did an outstanding job in post-season testing. That will boost our preparations for 2023, and we are confident we will see Zak thrive in our environment.
“We are equally delighted to work with the Williams Driver Academy, and we are grateful for the trust they have put into us.”
Williams’ sporting director Sven Smeets, who oversees the team’s driver development programme, added: “We’re looking forward to seeing Zak compete in his second season of F3 with Prema and working alongside them to develop and highlight Zak’s talents on and off the track.
“Zak is an integral part of our Driver Academy since joining at the beginning of 2022 and has shown his capabilities throughout his rookie season in F3.
“Following a productive test with Prema, I’m sure he’ll adapt to his new surroundings quickly and hit the ground running in 2023.”
O’Sullivan’s team-mates at Prema will be Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 junior Paul Aron and Ferrari Driver Academy member Dino Beganovic.