Williams junior driver Zak O'Sullivan loses F2 seat, Luke Browning set to step in

Williams junior driver Zak O’Sullivan has announced that he will miss the last three rounds of the Formula 2 season due to a funding issue, with Luke Browning set to replace him at the ART Grand Prix outfit.

O’Sullivan races for ART Grand Prix, and the 19-year-old is currently 13th in the standings having won the feature race in Monaco and the sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps. Although his place in the drivers' standings is currently not hugely impressive, he had mathematically been in title contention.

The Briitsh drivers joined Williams' racing academy after winning the 2021 GB3 title. The following year saw him step up into the FIA Formula 3 series, securing a total of four wins and ending up runner-up in 2023. At the end of that year, the took part in the mandatory rookie outing, driving or Williams in the first practice session of Formula 1’s season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“Firstly, I want to thank ART GP and Williams Racing for all of the support they have given me. This year we have had some incredible moments, multiple wins and a big highlight of winning the feature race in Monaco,” he said via Twitter.

“Unfortunately in our sport, there are more factors at play than just the stopwatch. The simple issue comes down to funding, I won’t be able to complete this F2 season with ART GP.

“I’m gutted to not be able to show my talents for the rest of the year, but I want to say thank you to all of my sponsors, Williams and all of the supporters who are alongside me during this journey. Your support has been invaluable and I can’t wait to be able to drive for you and with you again soon.”

In the meantime, ART GP has announced that Luke Browning will step in to replace O'Sullivan in the remainder of the season.