Williams has announced the recruitment of Zak O'Sullivan to its driver academy

"I'm honoured to have been selected as a Williams Racing Academy Driver," said the teenager. "This is an incredible opportunity and I can't thank Jost, Sven and the whole team enough for their faith in me.

"Williams Racing is one of the most successful and respected teams in Formula One and have nurtured some of the greatest talents in the sport, I am really looking forward to getting started."

O'Sullivan has enjoyed plenty of success throughout his short career. Most recently he was crowned GB3 Champion after an extraordinary debut season in the category, earning seven wins and 14 podium finishes, topping the table a whole 164 points clear of his nearest challenger.

The youngest-ever BRDC SuperStars member has shot through the motorsport ranks, having only switched from karts to cars in 2019. His debut campaign in tin tops saw him finish as runner-up in the Ginetta Junior Championship as the highest placed rookie.

British F4 followed in 2020 where O'Sullivan was vice-champion finishing just four points short of the title after the 26-race campaign, which saw him stand on the top step nine times from 18 podium visits. He then stepped up to GB3 where he delivered a stunning campaign last year.

The team confirmed that for 2022, O'Sullivan will compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Carlin.

"We are all very pleased to welcome Zak to the Williams Racing Driver Academy," said Sporting Director Sven Smeets. "His incredibly successful GB3 Championship campaign speaks to his natural talent, and the team can attest to his capability, drive and professionalism having seen him drive the simulator in Grove.

"We're now looking forward to working alongside Zak to support his development and progression, a role that we're proud to play in a talented young driver's career."

In his role as Academy Driver, O'Sullivan will be completely integrated into the team at Grove and will play a key role in car development with his work in the simulator. Williams will also support his growth as a driver and develop the skills necessary to race at the top level.