O’Sullivan, an F3 driver, was able to test the Aston Martin F1 car at Silverstone
Zak O'Sullivan won the first prize at the Autosport Young Driver DRDC last year and was able to drive in Formula 1 with an Aston Martin 2021, despite only being a current F3 driver.
Zak O’Sullivan was able to try driving a Formula 1 car on Thursday behind the wheel of a previous year’s Aston Martin AMR21. The British driver won the Autosport British Racing Drivers’ Club Young Driver of the Year Award in 2021.
In addition to winning a Formula 1 test drive, O’Sullivan had also won a prize of £200,000 and an Arai helmet.
Currently a F3 driver, he has covered over 50 kms in F1 without any major issues. He has been very impressed by the difference compared to F3.
« It’s so crazy. It’s a whole different world from what I’m used to in F3, explained the 17-year-old driver. « The first installation lap allowed me to wake up really well when I pressed full throttle. I was simply glued to the chassis.
« I have, of course, not yet been able to fully trust the machine. It’s clearly the fastest car I have ever driven. The power is insane, but I feel like the balance is easier to find than in an F3 because they have more means to make an F1 enjoyable. But the most impressive aspect is the brakes… The main limitation at the moment is my neck, which couldn’t handle the G forces during braking. »
« Compared to an F3, we brake 15 or 20 meters later, but with 120 or 150 km/h more… I am really happy with what I was able to do, at least in my last relay. » rejoiced the Englishman, 11th in the F3 2022 championship with 54 points with the Carlin team.
Here’s the full story from yesterday’s @f1 test for @ZakOSullivan
The @AstonMartinF1 car looks fantastic going around @SilverstoneUK #AMABA pic.twitter.com/BPgoLaDBTT
— BRDC (@BRDCSilverstone) October 26, 2022
