After finishing runner-up in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA), James Wharton will form part of ART Grand Prix‘s F3 line-up for the 2025 season. The Australian driver will partner with Laurens van Hoepen and fellow rookie, Tuukka Taponen.
Wharton excited for home race despite added pressure
Though it will not be his F3 debut, as he raced in the 2024 Silverstone round, deputising for the banned Martinius Stenshorne, Wharton will kick off his rookie F3 campaign with a home race in Melbourne. While speaking with the media, including Pit Debrief, Wharton explained that while he is excited to race at home, he would have preferred to start in Bahrain as there would have been less pressure on him.
“Yeah, well since it’s a home race it’s quite tough being the first one. I would have liked Bahrain to be honest to start just to have a little bit less pressure but yeah I’m super excited to start there.”
Despite this, he described the opportunity to race at the Albert Park Circuit as an F3 driver as something that he had dreamed of for many years and added that he was excited to get back to racing.
“I feel like it’s something that I’ve dreamed of for a long time already.”
“A lot of years I’ve gone to the Grand Prix and didn’t think I’d be on the grid let’s say already and already in F3 has been a massive stepping stone but going into a home GP is going to be even tougher so I can’t wait to get started and yeah I go back next Tuesday already to have a couple of days at home before I go to the track so I can’t wait to get back.“
Wharton aiming to fight for the championship
Despite his inexperience behind the wheel of an F3 car, Wharton believes that he is ready to “fight at the front.” While responding to a question from Pit Debrief, the Australian driver explained that he had done significant preparation over the past three years of his single-seater career. This experience, Wharton believes, has significantly helped his development as a racing driver, giving him the confidence to aim for the 2025 F3 championship.
“Yeah, I feel like there’s a lot of different ways of looking at it. For me, I’ve come to F3 because I feel like I’m prepared to be able to fight at the front. I’ve definitely felt the last three years have definitely helped my development to go straight into F3 and fight at the front.”
While this is his first year in F3, Wharton does not consider it a “learning year.” Instead, he aims to “put it all together” in 2025 and have a “solid” and consistent season. Wharton hopes to be in contention for the 2025 F3 title and is aiming to finish near the top of the table.
“So for me it’s not really a learning year or a rookie season. I would like to let’s say put it all together in the first year and for me that’s the biggest goal is just making a solid season, consistent season and hopefully by the end it’s at least at the front.”
“So for me it’s not really a learning year just more to go and do my best and hopefully fight for the championship at the end of the season.”
A wealth of success in single-seater racing
Though only 18 years old, Wharton has a wealth of experience in single-seater racing to draw upon. The young Australian has enjoyed much success since his entry into single-seater racing in the 2022 Formula 4 UAE Championship. He finished in the top 10 in every season that he has finished. These experiences have helped Wharton refine his talents behind the wheel, and have strengthened his self-confidence.
The 2024 season was no exception to Wharton’s trend of racing success. After finishing sixth in in the 2024 Formula Regional Middle East Championship, Wharton made his FRECA debut with Prema Racing. His debut race in Hockenheim was an excellent one. He finished on the podium, behind then-teammate Rafael Câmara, and Taponen.
Though he finished P3 in the second race in Spa-Francorchamps and scored points in both races at the Hungaroring, the start to Wharton’s FRECA career was ultimately turbulent. He retired from the second race in Hockenheim, did not start the first race in Spa-Francorchamps, and failed to score points in Zandvoort.
Fortunately, Wharton’s luck picked up in Mugello. After finishing the first race seventh, he earned his maiden win in the second. Wharton ended the season second in the championship with 236 points and four wins, including that in Mugello.
“Yeah well at the start of the season was quite tough for me last year and then from the middle of the season after summer break I had I feel like the best six months I’ve had in Formula which is a massive motivation but at the same time a massive confidence boost going into 2025 because I felt like I got past all the little things I needed to work on and I felt like I put a really really strong end of the season.“
Strong end to 2024 FRECA season a “confidence boost”
With three wins, four P3 finishes and a P5 finish in Austria, Wharton was the best-performing driver at the end of the 2024 FRECA season. He outscored every driver, including eventual championship winner Câmara, in the final four rounds. The Australian driver stated that he believes that this late-season surge had proven his readiness for F3.
“Outscoring any one of my rivals for the last four rounds was really incredible and that’s just given me a big confidence boost for this year and showing that I’m ready for the next step.“
