O’Sullivan considers Japan an choice to proceed racing profession after F2 exit

Williams System 1 junior Zak O’Sullivan says he’s contemplating Tremendous System as a substitute for 2025 after dropping his seat in System 2 halfway by way of this 12 months.

O’Sullivan was a shock late addition to the entry for this week’s post-season take a look at at Suzuka, becoming a member of Kondo Racing for the ultimate day reserved for rookies on Friday.

It follows his cut up with the ART Grand Prix workforce in F2 within the wake of September’s Monza spherical, with fellow Williams junior Luke Browning taking his place for Baku onwards.

The 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award winner, ended up sixteenth within the remaining standings with wins to his title within the Monaco function race and Spa dash.

Talking to Motorsport.com, O’Sullivan stated that monetary points have been on the root of his cut up with ART and didn’t rule out the potential for a full-time Tremendous System seat.

The Toyota-powered Kondo workforce has a possible emptiness alongside Kenta Yamashita for 2025 with Kazuto Kotaka wanting nearly sure to depart the workforce.

“It’s no secret that F2 is just not the most cost effective championship,” stated O’Sullivan. “All of us try to fund it as finest we will, Williams was serving to me as effectively, however typically it’s not sufficient. 

“The efficiency on monitor didn’t assist that trigger both. It’s a kind of issues, I’m not the primary driver to drop out of F2 and I received’t be the final.”

On the prospect of a full-time transfer to Japan, he added: “It’s a aspect step from F2, but it surely’s a really aggressive championship, which is engaging for drivers coming from Europe. 

“I actually loved right this moment, however there are a number of different issues on the desk, so let’s see.”

In his first Tremendous System outing, O’Sullivan registered the eighth-fastest time among the many 12 drivers in motion on Friday, 1.619s adrift of pacesetter Igor Fraga, who drove on all three days of the take a look at for Nakajima Racing.

The 19-year-old stated he was happy together with his progress throughout the day and is satisfied he would have ended up larger on the leaderboard had the afternoon session not been curtailed by a crash for Yuui Tsutsumi as most drivers have been on their remaining runs.

“It was fairly a brief day by way of on-track working,” mirrored O’Sullivan. “The morning session was nearly getting used to the automobile and testing its limits, being a really completely different automobile to F2 and tougher to search out the bounds, rather a lot quicker within the corners. 

“Within the afternoon, we had two units of tyres on the finish. The final run was wanting good till the pink flag. However the principle factor was to study as a lot as attainable and discover the bounds of the automobile.

Zak O’Sullivan, ART Grand Prix

Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures

“I feel the final lap was within the ballpark. However I used to be extra involved in regards to the feeling of the automobile, and I used to be getting there in direction of the tip of the day.”

With reference to his future at Williams, O’Sullivan revealed his contract with the Grove squad ends this month and expressed uncertainty a few renewal.

“Like every contract, the renewal date is on the finish of the 12 months, so I’ll discover out quickly,” he stated. 

“I’ve loved my time there, I joined the workforce after I was 16 so I’ve a detailed relationship with them. It might be a disgrace to depart however I’ve loved my time.”