The Madrid circuit provided a completely new setting for the final round of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship, with the debuting Madring’s entirely new layout. Combining high-speed sections and technical corners, the Spanish venue presented a demanding test for both drivers and teams, despite the August testing session.
James Wharton’s weekend began on Friday, working closely with the PREMA Racing team to refine the set-up of his car while also building his understanding of the new circuit. Due to the unusual schedule format of the Madrid round, featuring one Sprint Race and two Feature Races, qualifying was split into two separate but consecutive sessions. In the first session, Wharton secured the 12th-fastest time, which translated into P1 for the Sprint Race thanks to the reverse-grid format and P12 for Feature Race 1. In the second, the Australian secured P18 on the grid for Feature Race 2.
Starting from P1 in Saturday’s Sprint Race, Wharton made a strong start and headed into Turn 1 alongside Campos Racing’s Théophile Naël. The Australian was forced to cut the corner and subsequently return the position.
The race was then interrupted by a Safety Car and a red flag following a heavy crash. When racing resumed, Wharton continued to fight at the front and ultimately crossed the finish line in P2, securing his second podium of the season.
The two Feature Races provided few opportunities for overtaking, highlighting the difficulty of making progress around the new Madrid layout. Wharton finished Feature Race 1 in P10 after starting from P12, while Feature Race 2 saw him climb from P18 to P16 at the chequered flag.
«Overall, it was a tough Sunday, but Saturday was really, really positive. We made a good step forward over the last weekend, although it would have been nice to find that step a little bit earlier. I’m very happy with how we ended the season. It definitely wasn’t the 2026 we were hoping for, but there are a lot of things on the horizon that are going to push us forward and allow us to take the next steps in our career. I think this is a great foundation for all the hard work we’ve put in this season. I can’t thank the mechanics, my engineer and my personal trainer Ben enough. Now it’s a full push towards 2027, making sure we put everything in place to come back stronger and have a really good season», James Wharton said.
With the Madrid round bringing the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship to a close, James finished his second season in the category in P17 overall with 39 points. The Australian recorded two podium finishes during the campaign, including a victory in Barcelona, adding another season of experience at one of the most competitive levels of the junior single-seater ladder.