Gloucestershire racing driver Zak O’Sullivan has been awarded the iconic Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year title.

Just three days after being announced as a Williams Racing Academy Driver, and on the day of his 17th birthday, Zak was announced as the 32nd winner of the famous award.

Previously recipients include current F1 stars George Russell and Lando Norris, as well as iconic names such as Jenson Button and David Coulthard.

As winner of the Young Driver of the Year award, Zak will receive £200,000, a test in an F1 car, a new Arai helmet and a full British Racing Drivers’ Club membership.

As part of the award process, Zak and his fellow finalists were invited to Silverstone to compete in two gruelling test days.

They drove cars that they had never raced in before, including Formula 2, GT3 and LMP3 machines, and were judged on their approach, skill and also analytical abilities.

They also participated in simulator and fitness assessments in order to determine the stand-out individual.

On February 6 hundreds of the biggest names in the motorsport industry gathered at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London for the awards ceremony.

Zak, from Withington, recently joined the Williams academy and will race for Carlin in Formula 3 this season.