In his latest column for Feeder Series, Zak O’Sullivan discusses how the FIA F3 pre-season test went from his perspective, gives us an insight into what he’s been up to during the winter break, and looks ahead to the start of the 2023 season after switching teams to Prema.

By Zak O’Sullivan

Hi Feeder Series readers. I’m back! 

As I write this, I’m on my way home from the pre-season FIA Formula 3 test in Bahrain. It’s been nice to get back in the car, familiarise myself with all the procedures, and of course, get to know my new team, Prema. There’s only so much you can do in three days, but we learnt a lot – more on that further down.

It’s been a while since I wrote one of these so I should probably cover the winter break.

My time off was pretty hectic! As well as catching up with family over Christmas and New Year, I had a very unexpected invitation to the FIA F3 Awards Ceremony in Monaco. It was a fantastic evening, and it was great to be acknowledged by the FIA.

The seasonal celebrations continued in Italy, where I joined Prema for their Superheroes Christmas Party. On the training side of things, I’m building my fitness levels with my PT Jake to ensure I’m race ready, so I can focus on maximising the car throughout the season. 

I’m fortunate to have the continued support of the Williams Racing Driver Academy for the 2023 season, which means regular visits to Grove for simulator sessions, as well as putting in the hours at the Williams Racing gym.

At the track, I’m still travelling and working with my driver coach Kieren from Kokoro Performance, who I’ve worked with for about seven years now. The ‘off-season’ has been quite the opposite; a lot of hard work has been put in by everyone around me to make sure we hit the ground running in Bahrain.

I also have some news: a new partner has joined me this season. Sytner Mercedes-Benz (Cheltenham) have come on board and very generously given me a new car – the first I can actually call ‘mine’! I’m really looking forward to working with them moving forwards. More good news on the partner side coming soon.

FIA F3 pre-season testing went pretty much as expected. I really enjoyed working closely with the team and my engineer, in preparation for the first round. Besides that, it was good to get to know my teammates better, and wow… full marks for the amazing food!

But seriously, having only worked with Prema for a short period of time, I’m really excited about the season ahead. It’s a competitive series, and it will be tough, but I’m ready for the challenge. 

Let’s see what Round 1 brings. 

Header image credit: James Gasperotti