Zak O’Sullivan Says Funding Issues Forced Him Out of 2024 Formula 2 Season

BBC Sport describes Formula 1 as “an exclusive club that thousands of drivers on the motorsport ladder dream of joining,” but it says the path is blocked by money as much as talent.

“- Published Formula 1 is an exclusive club that thousands of drivers on the motorsport ladder dream of joining”

BBC

In its account, former Williams Academy driver Zak O’Sullivan was forced to drop out of the 2024 Formula 2 season “partway through because of funding issues,” despite having raced from when he was eight.

BBC

O’Sullivan, who grew up near Cheltenham, won the 2021 GB3 Championship and was named the Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year on his 17th birthday, yet he still faced financial limits.

He told BBC Sport he does not “plead poverty,” saying: “I'm from a wealthy family, but not to the extent to spend millions and millions, year on year, to make it to F1.”

BBC Sport also quotes him explaining that “Williams were very aware of my financial struggles,” and that “they only contribute a certain amount to my season and that came very early in the year.”

The BBC piece frames the broader problem as “motorsport inflation,” with O’Sullivan saying “There are very few regulations controlling how much you can spend,” and that “the top teams perform the best because they have the most money.”

He adds a concrete example: “a top level, race-winning kart chassis can cost upwards of £4,000 - and that's without an engine,” while his European karting budgets “about £180,000 a year” had risen to “up to around £300,000.”

BBC Sport’s reporting connects the cost of climbing the motorsport ladder to the role of sponsors and the uneven ability to pay.

O’Sullivan tells the BBC that “it is “down to the driver to bring the funding,” meaning sponsors are “critical” but difficult to find,” and he describes sponsorship as coming from “an act of extraordinary kindness, or family, friends, or someone who's very, very passionate about racing or believes in the driver.”

Reporte Indigo

The BBC piece also includes his view that the sport’s economics create “elitism,” saying he believes “there's no hiding away from” it within motorsport.

He argues that “There's a few cases of drivers making it without the funds but you have to be able to get to a level where you're recognised by Formula 1 teams,” and he says that recognition is “normally European karting, which is very expensive.”

The BBC account also situates O’Sullivan’s experience within a specific competitive context: he secured a seat in Formula 2 for 2024 and competed against current F1 drivers Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto.

It notes he won the Monaco feature race and Belgian sprint race, but still “was forced to drop out of the championship with three races to go.”

O’Sullivan’s comments extend beyond his own case, with the BBC quoting him on how teams set prices: “For as long as you have people wanting to race and with the finances to race, the teams can set their price. And if people pay, they'll keep upping their price.”

The BBC story then shifts to another driver, Maisy Creed, describing how she is cutting costs while still attracting attention from Formula 1 teams at age 16.

BBC Sport’s second driver profile, Maisy Creed, is presented as an example of how young talent tries to keep racing while managing expenses.

“The Formula 1 Exhibition returns to Mexico City”

Time Out México

The BBC says Creed is “an up and coming driver who has already caught the eye of Formula 1 teams at the age of 16,” and it adds that last year she was crowned the PF International X30 junior champion.

It also states that she was “the first female champion in the series' 32-year history,” and it notes that the series has previously featured victories by Formula 1 world champions Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Jenson Button.

The BBC frames her approach as a deliberate effort to “cutting costs,” and it specifies that Sheffield-based Creed races with “a second-hand chassis” and a practice engine that “needs to be rebuilt every two to three weeks.”

BBC Sport gives a cost figure for that setup: “costs about £8,000,” and it contrasts that with the larger spending pressures described earlier in O’Sullivan’s comments about “motorsport inflation.”

The BBC also quotes Creed’s situation in terms of necessity, saying “I have to keep up with things I don't have,” as the story moves further down the ladder.

While the excerpt ends mid-sentence, it already ties her career to the same economic constraint: she is competing in a pathway where the BBC says “it takes immense talent to make it to the top,” but where “financial obstacles” can still decide outcomes.

Taken together, the BBC’s profiles use O’Sullivan’s funding collapse in Formula 2 and Creed’s £8,000 cost-control strategy to illustrate how money shapes who can continue racing.

Separate from the driver-ladder story, Time Out México and Reporte Indigo describe a Formula 1 Exhibition arriving in Mexico City, with detailed dates, venue information, and ticketing.

Time Out México says “The Formula 1 Exhibition returns to Mexico City!” and specifies that “this 2026 won't be just for the race or a photo display,” describing “an immersive exhibition” with “more than two thousand square meters.”

BBC

It states the exhibition will be available starting “March 20,” with hours “from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.,” and it identifies the venue as “Yama Punta Museo, in San Pablo Tepetlapa, Coyoacán.”

Time Out México also provides a general sale date of “Wednesday, January 28,” and it gives a ticket cost of “$295,” while directing attendees to use “the Metro on Line 2 to Tasqueña and then board the Tren Ligero to Nezahualpilli station.”

Reporte Indigo similarly says the Formula 1 Exhibition will be available in Mexico City starting “March 20, 2026,” and it adds a season running “for two months until May 30, 2026.”

It places the exhibition at “Yama Punta Museum, located at 3572 Av. División del Norte, San Pablo Tepetlapa, Coyoacán, 04610 Mexico City, CDMX,” and it also points to “the Nezahualpilli Light Rail station.”

Reporte Indigo’s description emphasizes that the immersive show includes “historic and contemporary cars,” “never-before-seen audiovisual material,” “interviews,” “original artifacts,” and “interactive elements, including racing simulators.”

The Mexico City exhibition coverage also diverges on pricing and details of the experience, while still aligning on the core venue and timing.

“One of Formula 1's largest and most iconic exhibitions is coming to Mexico”

Reporte Indigo

Time Out México says tickets cost “$295” and that the exhibition runs “from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.” starting March 20, with the general sale beginning “on Wednesday, January 28.”

Reporte Indigo

Reporte Indigo, however, provides a tiered pricing scheme with multiple ticket categories, listing an “Adult (13+) - $400.00,” a “VIP Pole Position - $855.00,” a “Senior (65+) / Student (with valid ID) - $345.00,” and a “Child (4-12) - $325.00,” while also stating that “Prices vary depending on date and time chosen.”

It adds that the experience duration is “60 to 90 minutes,” and it specifies hours as “Monday to Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.” and “Weekends: 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.”

Reporte Indigo also details the exhibition’s rooms, listing “six main rooms,” including “Fallen Heroes,” “Survivors,” “The Pit Wall,” “That Was Formula 1,” “Design Lab,” and “Drivers and Duels,” and it says “around 100 helmets” appear in “Drivers and Duels.”

For interactive elements, Reporte Indigo says visitors can “drive a Formula 1 simulator, recreating the thrill of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez,” and it gives an extra cost of “$215.00” for a session that “lasts about 8 minutes.”

Time Out México similarly describes “seven rooms dedicated to motorsport” and says visitors can observe “drivers’ testimonies” and “exclusive content,” while noting “virtual challenges and cinematic experiences.”

It also says the organizers are preparing “a room dedicated exclusively to Mexico” with “Sergio Checo Pérez as the protagonist,” and it mentions that there will be something related to “Charles Leclerc.”