BRITAIN'S aspiring next Formula One star is gearing up to race in front of his home fans as the British Grand Prix rolls into the legendary Silverstone circuit.

Zak O’Sullivan, from Withington, near Cirencester, is part of the historic Williams Racing team’s driver academy and is racing in Formula 2 in 2024, the final rung on the feeder series ladder before F1.

Despite an at-times tough campaign at the wheel of his ART Grand Prix machine, 19-year-old Zak took a famous win at Monaco and is currently 11th in the drivers’ championship standings.

Zak heads into Silverstone (July 5 – 7) after a solid weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, where he outqualified and out-raced team-mate Victor Martins and took home two points for ninth place in the feature race.

The British Grand Prix is widely considered to be one of the showcase events on the Formula One calendar, with a weekend crowd of up to 460,000 people set to arrive in Northamptonshire at the former Second World War bomber base.

Zak said: “It was at Silverstone where I first got the bug for Formula One, travelling to the Grand Prix with my dad.

"Now I am there racing in front of the huge British crowd, which is a really exciting prospect.

“This year has proved to be really challenging, as all the teams have had to get used to the new-for-2024 Formula 2 car and some have found it easier than others.

"Nevertheless, we have achieved some great results and I am very motivated to perform in front of one of the biggest crowds of the year.”

Silverstone is a track where Zak has already made some great memories, after taking pole position and finishing second in Formula 3 in 2022.

“The track has some incredible high-speed corners, some of the biggest challenges we face as drivers across the season. It rewards bravery and skill and pushes the car and driver to the limit.

“The likes of Lando Norris and George Russell fought it out for Formula 2 victories at Silverstone before making it to the very top.

"My ultimate goal is to reach Formula One, so I hope I can follow in their footsteps this weekend,” he added.

Fans attending the British Grand Prix weekend can hear from Zak and his fellow Formula 2 drivers at the circuit’s main stage, from 3pm to 4pm this Thursday (July 4).

The Formula 2 sprint race takes place before F1 qualifying on Saturday, with the main feature race the warm-up for the Grand Prix itself on the Sunday morning.