F1에 도달하기 위해 실제로 겪는 것

BBC Sport explores the financial reality of two drivers with experience of trying to climb the motorsport ladder to reach Formula 1.

Formula 1 is an exclusive club that thousands of drivers across the motorsport ladder dream of joining.

Unfortunately for most, that dream doesn't work out. It takes immense talent to make it to the top, but even the most gifted are likely to face financial obstacles on the way.

On Thursday, BBC Sport explored just how much money it takes for a young driver to get to F1, from karting via Formula 4, the Formula Regional European Championship (Freca), Formula 3 and Formula 2.

We have spoken to two British drivers who have been on the path to F1 to hear what it is really like to attempt to climb that ladder.

Former Williams Academy driver Zak O'Sullivan was forced to drop out of the 2024 Formula 2 season partway through because of funding issues.

O'Sullivan, who started racing when he was eight, says he does not "plead poverty", adding: "I'm from a wealthy family, but not to the extent to spend millions and millions, year on year, to make it to F1.

"I think anyone who competes in motorsport up to F3 level is clearly from a wealthy background because it's impossible otherwise."

O'Sullivan, who grew up near Cheltenham, won the 2021 GB3 Championship (equivalent to British F3), and on his 17th birthday was named the Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year., external

He then moved on to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, where he finished 11th in 2022, his rookie season, and was runner-up in 2023.

O'Sullivan secured a seat in Formula 2 for 2024, where he competed against current F1 drivers Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto.

He won the Monaco feature race and Belgian sprint race but, despite his success, he was forced to drop out of the championship with three races to go.

"Without Williams' support when I initially went into Formula 3, it would have been very, very difficult for me to even do one season," the 21-year-old said.

Despite being in the Williams Driver Academy, he was expected to cover part of the costs himself.

"Williams were very aware of my financial struggles," he said. "Of course, they only contribute a certain amount to my season and that came very early in the year, as is quite normal.

O'Sullivan added that it is "down to the driver to bring the funding", meaning sponsors are "critical" but difficult to find.

He explained: "I think any sponsorship you get is either from an act of extraordinary kindness, or family, friends, or someone who's very, very passionate about racing or believes in the driver."

He described a phenomenon that he called "motorsport inflation", adding that he is "amazed" by the number of people able to race with the current costs.

"There are very few regulations controlling how much you can spend," he said. "So the top teams perform the best because they have the most money.

"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."

For example, a top level, race-winning kart chassis can cost upwards of £4,000 - and that's without an engine.

O'Sullivan said that in his time in European karting, the top teams had budgets of about £180,000 a year, but that has now increased.

"That's now up to around £300,000 with motorsport inflation, which doesn't really follow the global trends," he said.

O'Sullivan believes "there's no hiding away from" elitism within motorsport, adding: "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, which is normally European karting, which is very expensive."

Having left F2 before the end of 2024, he says that "realistically" F1 is no longer the goal for him and he currently races in Japan in the Super Formula series.

Further down the ladder is Maisy Creed, an up and coming driver who has already caught the eye of Formula 1 teams at the age of 16.

Last year she was crowned the PF International X30 junior champion - a series where F1 world champions Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Jenson Button have previously enjoyed victories. Creed was the first female champion in the series' 32-year history.

A key focus of her career so far has been cutting costs.

Sheffield-based Creed races with a second-hand chassis which, combined with a practice engine that needs to be rebuilt every two to three weeks, costs about £8,000.

"There's some engines that are just so good, that if you want to have that competitive edge, you've got to be renting a race engine as well," her father Adam said. "If everyone else is doing it, you've got to do it as well."

Creed said she has always been on the back foot because she races with second-hand parts.

"If everyone's got new karts every time they're out, they have better quality things and they're faster, so I have to keep up with things that I don't have," she explained.

In an attempt to help cut costs, Creed's family have networked on and around the track to get parts and engineering support at a reduced rate, while also making an effort to attract a sponsor via her social media.

Despite these challenges, she has still managed to make her mark, racing at the famous Le Mans track in the IAME Ladies Cup,, external which she described as her "favourite race ever".

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Creed said one of the most surprising costs in karting is the tyres, which can cost £200 a set.

"I think a lot of people don't realise how much they need to be changed," she said.

"A lot of people are changing tyres multiple times even in a day. Even the cost of the testing is something that I think people don't realise... even when you're not racing you're still paying to be on the track."

When talking about her plans for this season and beyond, she said her main priority right now is getting a sponsor and moving on to F1 Academy, the all-female series that takes place at F1 weekends and is aimed at helping female drivers progress to higher categories.

"I've only got the budget for three or four days of testing in the F4 car, which is to prepare me for next year and to prepare me to hopefully get the F1 Academy test at the end of the year in September," she said.

"A lot of the people that will be doing that are testing maybe 40 days."

Asked how she felt about the possibility that a competitor's money could outweigh her talent, Creed said that has "always been a big concern".

However, on winning in the same series as F1 world champions Norris and Hamilton, Creed added: "[It] reminds me that it's possible and they've taken the same path as me, they're doing the exact same things, so I know that I'm on the right path."