Zak O’Sullivan has been nominated for the prestigious Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award after a stellar season in the GB3 Championship, following in the footsteps of some of the UK's most celebrated racing drivers.

The 16-year-old has been recognised for a superb second season in single seaters in 2021, which has seen him pick up five wins in GB3 and left him with a virtually-unassailable lead in the title race.

The award was launched in 1989 with the aim of finding and assisting the best junior British racing drivers and previous winners include past and present F1 stars David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Paul di Resta, George Russell and Lando Norris.

It is for drivers who are under 24, competing in a category below FIA Formula 3 or are an FIA F3 rookie, and returns after a coronavirus-enforced hiatus in 2020.

Alongside O’Sullivan on the long list of 10 finalists is fellow Cheltenham College alumni Jamie Chadwick, 23, who is competing in W Series this season.

“It’s a great honour to be nominated, especially when you look at the list of drivers who have won this award in the past and what they have gone on to achieve,” said O’Sullivan, from Withington near Cirencester.

“It’s going to be difficult to get through to the final four but I am just grateful the judges have thought of me.”

If he gets through to the final four, the judges will put O’Sullivan’s skills to the test in a range of machinery around Silverstone, including MotorSport Vision Formula 2 cars, a BBM Sport Ginetta LMP3 sportscar and an Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

The panel includes BRDC vice-president and F1 driver steward Derek Warwick, double British Touring Car champion Jason Plato and previous award winners Darren Turner, Andrew Kirkaldy and Alexander Sims.

The judges will select the final four during the next month and the winner will be announced at the Autosport Awards on December 19.