Albert Park has long been the traditional curtain-raiser for the FIA Formula 3 season, and it remains one of the most spectacular and fan-favourite circuits on the calendar. For James Wharton, the event also carries special significance, as the Australian driver from Bundoora races just a short distance from home in front of his local fans.
Returning this season to the historic colours of PREMA Racing, Wharton began what is expected to be a crucial year in his career with encouraging pace from the very start of the weekend. During Free Practice, the Australian focused on working through the car setup and tyre management, finishing the session in P17 while showing positive feeling behind the wheel.
The real step forward came in Qualifying, where Wharton demonstrated his speed by consistently running near the top of the timesheets. He secured P8 with a lap time of 1:34.621, a result that placed him in a strong position heading into the Sprint Race.
Saturday marked the official start of the season with the first race of the year. Thanks to the reverse grid rule, Wharton’s eighth place in qualifying translated into a fifth-place start for the Sprint Race. Despite a slightly compromised start that saw him lose two positions in the opening phase, Wharton remained in the fight within the pack. However, his race came to an early end following contact with teammate Louis Sharp, an incident that resulted in a heavy impact and brought out the red flag.
Following the accident, and as a precautionary measure decided by the medical staff and race control, Wharton did not take part in the Feature Race of the Australian Grand Prix. It is also worth highlighting the remarkable effort from the PREMA Racing team, who rebuilt the car in just 12 hours after the heavy crash.
“The medical staff decided it was best for me not to race and focus on recovering ahead of the next few weeks,” said Wharton. “I’m really disappointed with how the weekend ended, especially at my home race. I want to thank the team for rebuilding the car in just 12 hours after the Sprint Race incident, they are incredible and I’ll do everything I can to repay them throughout the season. I’d also like to thank all the fans for the support I received during my home race weekend.”
Despite the unfortunate outcome, Wharton showed encouraging pace and competitiveness throughout the weekend, providing a positive indication ahead of the upcoming rounds of the championship.