Embarking on a new chapter with Paysafe Envision Formula E, Zak O’Sullivan will take the next step in his Formula E career after being confirmed as a full-time driver.
The 21-year-old has spent the past year working towards securing a permanent seat in the championship, working with the team as a development driver and participating in testing. Now, he is set to make his competitive Formula E debut when the new season begins in Saudi Arabia in December.
Why Formula E?
When explaining why Formula E first caught his attention, O’Sullivan points to the quality of competition within the all-electric championship.
“I think it’s a very competitive series, the level of drivers is extremely high,” he explained.
But his interest in Formula E is also rooted in his technical approach to racing.
“I’m quite technically minded and the amount of technology and the amount of work you have to do with your engineers to succeed has interested me as soon as I got involved.”
O’Sullivan has already worked closely with the team, attending race weekends, participating in rookie tests and contributing to the development of the car. That experience has allowed him to become increasingly familiar with the team and its demands, helping to ease the transition into a full-time role.
“I’ve been embedding myself in the team for the last year or so now, so I’m really looking forward to getting started full time,” he said.
The season opener in Saudi Arabia will therefore represent more than just another race weekend. It will mark O’Sullivan’s first competitive drive in Formula E.
Having already driven the new GEN4 car, O’Sullivan described the machinery as “a very good step forward”. Its headline characteristic is its power, with the four-wheel-drive system providing a very different experience from the cars he has previously raced.
“It’s a lot of power for a four-wheel drive, which is quite a foreign feeling for a lot of us, but it’s a really good step forward,” he explained.
A Rookie During a New Era
O’Sullivan’s arrival is particularly significant given that his debut coincides with the introduction of the GEN4 era
Rather than entering Formula E while established teams and drivers continue to build on years of experience with the existing regulations, O’Sullivan will begin his career alongside a major technical reset.
“A fresh start of regulations is always a positive for a rookie,” he explained.
However, he is under no illusion that the experience of Formula E’s established drivers will disappear overnight.
“There’s some very experienced drivers in Formula E with over 10 years of experience. So, it’s not like the championship’s head has been turned on its head.”
The new era may provide a fresh starting point, but experience will remain an important factor in a championship known for its competitive field and constantly changing demands.
How Will His Experience Help Him?
Alongside his Formula E duties, O’Sullivan has gained experience across a variety of championships. Most recently, his career took him away from Europe and to Asia, where he competed in Super Formula.
He believes the move helped him mature as a driver, particularly by forcing him to adapt to different types of machinery.
“The one benefit of racing in Japan is that almost all the drivers do two championships in one year. So, I’m often jumping from a GT car to a formula car. I think my adaptability has improved over the last few years, so I’m sure it will help.”
That adaptability could prove particularly useful in Formula E, where the characteristics of the car and the demands of a race weekend can vary significantly from circuit to circuit.
For O’Sullivan, becoming comfortable with unfamiliar machinery has become an important part of his development. As he prepares to enter a championship with a completely new car and regulations, that experience could provide a valuable foundation for his rookie season.
A Partnership with Maximilian Günther
O’Sullivan has also benefited from working alongside his more experienced teammate, Maximilian Günther. He credits Günther’s experience within the team and the conversations they have shared as an important part of his preparation for the GEN4 era.
Having already spent time testing the new machinery, O’Sullivan has been keen to absorb as much information as possible.
“To be honest, every time I’ve been at the track, I’ve been like a sponge, trying to learn as much as I can.”
Despite being a rookie, O’Sullivan believes his experience outside Formula E can also bring something different to Paysafe Envision.
“I think having someone coming from a different championship is always interesting because there’s perhaps stuff that I do in Super Formula that isn’t done in Formula E.”
He adds: “I’ve got quite recent experiences with very high downforce cars, which is always useful.”
His arrival therefore offers more than simply another young driver for the team. O’Sullivan brings experience from different racing environments, along with a fresh perspective that could complement the knowledge already within the team.
A Look Forward to the Season
When looking ahead to the end of his rookie season, O’Sullivan is reluctant to place too much emphasis on numerical targets.
With the introduction of the GEN4 regulations, there is still considerable uncertainty over how the new cars and race weekends will develop. Instead, his focus is firmly on adapting as quickly as possible.
He explains that his main priority is to learn, saying: “None of us really know the style of weekend we’re going to have. So, I think it’s going to be whoever learns fastest will be competitive, and that’s the kind of target for me.”
For O’Sullivan, the objective is therefore straightforward: learn quickly, adapt to the demands of Formula E and use that development to contribute to Paysafe Envision’s championship ambitions.
The season will begin in December, when O’Sullivan will have his first opportunity to turn that preparation into competitive results and begin his full-time Formula E career.
