James Wharton’s third FIA F3 round of the season got off to a tough start, as a mechanical issue forced the young Australian to miss the only free practice session. This setback prevented him from building confidence with both his car and the newly resurfaced Imola circuit. Thanks to the tireless work of the ART Grand Prix engineers and mechanics, the issue was fixed in time for qualifying, allowing Wharton to take part in the session. He secured P20 with a time of 1:33.096 — a result that doesn’t reflect his true potential, and heavily impacted by having sat out for the entire first session.
Starting from the back of the grid in Saturday’s Sprint Race, James made an impressive getaway, gaining four positions off the line. However, his progress was soon interrupted by two neutralisations — first a Virtual Safety Car, then a full Safety Car, both deployed due to incidents on track. After the second restart, a last-lap collision between two cars ahead forced Wharton to take evasive action at the Variante Alta, sending him onto the grass, costing momentum and ultimately dropping him to 22nd at the chequered flag.
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In Sunday’s Feature Race, Wharton gained three places in the opening laps and later capitalised on a rival's off-track excursion to climb to P14. Through a smart use of the DRS on the main straight and clever defending in the closing stages, he continued to push forward. A well-timed move at Rivazza saw him overtake Noel León, followed soon after by a clean pass on Ugochukwu. With a total of seven positions gained, Wharton’s No.9 ART Grand Prix crossed the line in 13th place — a solid recovery that showcased both his actual race pace and growing confidence.
“It was a challenging weekend here in Imola,” said the young Australian. “Unfortunately, a gearbox issue during free practice meant we couldn’t complete even a single lap, which forced us into qualifying without any references. That made the session particularly tough, and we weren’t able to secure the grid position we were aiming for. Despite a difficult Sprint Race, we ended the weekend with a solid performance in the Feature Race. That said, the overall pace is still not where we want it to be. We know the potential is there, but we need to keep working hard, especially on qualifying, so we can start further up the grid and show what we’re really capable of in the races. Now, full focus shifts to Monaco — a demanding weekend ahead where we’ll need to give everything. I want to thank all my supporters and sponsors for their continued support during these tough moments. I’m confident the results will come soon, and we’ll be able to celebrate them together.”
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Wharton will return to the track from 22 to 25 May for the Monaco Grand Prix, the fourth round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, aiming to put together a clean weekend and get on the board.