A Gloucestershire family is appealing to the whole region to get behind a talented young racing driver who is aiming to become the first person from the county to race in Formula 1 for more than 60 years.
Zak O’Sullivan, from Withington, near Cheltenham, is part of the legendary Williams team’s driver academy and is racing in Formula 2 this season, just one rung below F1.
Like many aspiring Grand Prix drivers, the 19-year-old faces a huge challenge to reach the pinnacle of the sport – and it’s not just connected to his ability behind the wheel.
Zak needs to raise a huge amount of money to fund his seat in F2, so his mum Ali has been campaigning non-stop and pounding the industrial estates of Gloucestershire to recruit new sponsors.
She said: “We have been bowled over by how Gloucestershire is getting behind Zak to keep him in his F2 seat and one step closer to the F1 dream. The whole family are working tirelessly to make it happen, but we still have a way to go and need more to come onboard.
“If I don’t do this, I can’t sleep. It’s about knowing that we’ve done everything in our power to make this happen.
“We’ve funded Zak’s career from eight years old with very little support, but now we are appealing to the county of Gloucestershire to rally behind Zak, to help with that final push to make it happen!”
Earlier this year, Zak launched the 500:500 Business Club to appeal for 500 local companies willing to contribute £500 sponsorship to help him get one step nearer to his F1 goal.
Companies will be featured on Zak’s 500:500 web-page, network through the club, be entered into an F1 prize draw and be invited to an end of season networking event hosted by Zak. Above all, they will be playing a part in Zak’s incredible journey.
The campaign is gaining significant traction and has attracted new partners for the 2024 season – including Cheltenham-based advanced data centre operator Quantum Switch, which has signed up as title sponsor.
The history books aren’t exactly packed with F1 drivers from Gloucestershire, and you have to go all the way back to 1961 and 1962 to find the last, when Stroud’s Jack Lewis competed in 10 races in a non-works Cooper Climax.
“It’d be an extraordinary achievement if Zak were to make it all the way to F1, and it would be a wonderful story for Gloucestershire, too,” added Ali.
“Anyone wanting to support, no matter how big or small – we’d love to hear from you.”
