ZAK O’SULLIVAN STEPS UP TO RACE SEAT AT ENVISION FOR SEASON 13
Paysafe Envision Formula E Team has completed its driver line-up for Season 13 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The British-based team announced on 15 September that Zak O’Sullivan will race full-time, stepping up from his role as development and reserve driver.
The 21-year-old will partner Maximilian Günther, who was confirmed by the team just 24 hours earlier, in a completely new line-up for the first season of the GEN4 era.
O’Sullivan’s promotion comes after a year of work behind the scenes, including simulator duties. He made his Formula E debut with Envision in the Rookie Free Practice session before the Season 11 Jeddah E-Prix, and then drove the GEN3 Evo in Berlin, Miami and Madrid, setting the fastest time in the Miami rookie session.
Born in London in 2005 and raised near Cheltenham, O’Sullivan arrives with a strong CV. He won the GB3 Championship in 2021, finished second in FIA Formula 3 in 2023 and, as a member of the Williams Driver Academy, drove in the first practice session of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In 2024 he won Formula 2 races in Monaco and at Spa-Francorchamps with ART Grand Prix, before moving to Japan in 2025, where he now races in Super Formula with Team Impul.
Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO of the team, said Envision was impressed by both O’Sullivan’s speed in the rookie sessions and his commitment away from the track. O’Sullivan said Formula E has been a target for him for a long time and that he can’t wait to start the season with the new GEN4 car.
His teammate will bring plenty of experience. Günther, a 29-year-old German, joins on a multi-year contract after eight seasons in Formula E and seven race wins. However, his last season with DS Penske was difficult, as he finished 18th in the standings with a best result of sixth.
The new pairing replaces Sébastien Buemi and Joel Eriksson, who both left the team at the end of Season 12. Buemi, the 2015-16 champion, has left Formula E to focus on his Hypercar programme with Toyota, but he will stay with Envision in an advisory and development role. The team also has a new title partner, the payments company Paysafe, and will continue to use Jaguar powertrains.
Season 13 marks the start of a new chapter for the championship. The GEN4 car will deliver up to 600kW, around 815hp, and will be the first Formula E car with permanent all-wheel drive. The calendar will be the longest ever, with 21 races across 13 cities.
Before the racing starts, the teams will take part in pre-season testing at the Circuit del Jarama in Madrid from 16 to 20 November. The season will then open with a night double-header in Jeddah on 18 and 19 December, the same city where O’Sullivan first drove a Formula E car.
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