Wharton ready for F3 challenge
James Wharton will become the latest Australian to take on FIA Formula 3 in 2025 and feels the time is right to take on the big challenge.
Wharton, 18, will make his full-time F3 debut with ART Grand Prix in 2025 as effectively Christian Mansell’s replacement.
The latest Aussie to race in the third tier has made waves in his short single-seater career, never finishing lower than sixth in any full season he has competed in.
Wharton hails from Melbourne, but has been living on his own in Europe since he was just 13.
He has already had a taste of Formula 3, being a sub for Hi-Tech at Silverstone.
The boy from Bundoora will be stepping up to F3 on a high after soaring to second in the Formula Regional European Championship.
James Wharton testing in Formula 3 at Catalunya. Image: Dutch Photo Agency
Having taken four wins and outscored everyone in the second half of the season with seven podiums in the last eight races, Wharton feels he is moving up to F3 in career-best form.
“I feel now is the time I am ready to make the step and have done everything until now to put us in position,” Wharton told Auto Action.
“I have never finished outside the top six in any car. I am on an upward trajectory and to have that coming into F3 is perfect.
“The confidence that I have built will only help me and I believe I can keep the momentum going.”
Another reason to feel confident is that not only does Wharton have previous experience of the category, but also his team having recently competed in the Macau Grand Prix with ART.
“Macau was all about learning the new team and getting comfortable with my engineers at ART,” he said.
“It was an important learning weekend on and off the track and it is vital to be comfortable within your team, especially being my first season in F3 considering there will be so many new things.
“It is a great head start before my first race in Melbourne, so very lucky to have a race already under my belt.”
Testing has taken place at Barcelona and provided an early form guide.
Noel León for Prema topped the opening day before Nikola Tsolov set the fastest time of the weekend with a 1:26.618 on day two, whilst the final day’s running was marred by rain.
James Wharton driving the 2024 ART car at Spain. Image: Dutch Photo Agency
Wharton got as high as 12th across the three days.
“It‘s been a good three days just doing a lot of testing with the car, with the team, as well as getting used to the new car for the drivers,” he said.
“I’ve been quite positive in the first couple of days. The third day of the test was wet for the whole day, except for the last run where it dried out.
“Overall, I’m quite confident going to Melbourne that we have a good car underneath and hopefully we can go and make it a little step from now to then.”
Wharton is effectively following in the footsteps of fellow Aussie Mansell, who impressed at ART this year so much he secured a strong fifth in the championship.
Having been karting teammates together, Mansell has been helping out the latest F3 Aussie settle in.
However, there is only so much advice the now F2 driver will be able to give as Formula 3 enters a new era of cars in 2025.
As a result, Wharton is unwilling to establish any goals for 2025 at this stage, but is not short of confidence.
“It is hard to say where we will be sitting next year with a brand new car coming along,” he said.
“If it was 2024 I would believe we are in a very good position but we do not know who is going to be fast and which car is going to be the best.
James Wharton is ready for the biggest year of his career. Image: Dutch Photo Agency
“It is very hard to predict, but I know if I have the car underneath me and have all the right things we could fight for the championship.
“I feel like I have progressed a lot this season and I have been able to become a championship contending driver.
“After such a good end to the season last year I feel like that (F3 title) is a realistic goal.
“We have a three day test to really get the car right and may need some magic to get it perfect, but I am sure we will find some.”
The rise to F3 is a significant one considering it comes a year after Wharton decided to leave the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Having been the first winner of the Ferrari Driver Academy’s Scouting World Finals he joined the Italian giant in 2021.
After rising through the ranks with the backing of Prema and Ferrari and growing up in Maranello, Wharton decided to go his own way at the start of this year and the big move has paid dividends.
James Wharton is all suited up for F3. Image: Dutch Photo Agency
However, he will forever be thankful to the “prancing horse.”
“It was a big thing having a team like Ferrari backing you,” Wharton recalled.
“But for me at that time it was the best decision for me as a person as well. I felt it was time to move on to a new team and opportunity.
“I cannot thank them enough for what they did to me
“I spent so long there they grew me from karting into a race car driver.
“I had to learn a lot of life things there as well, living on my own at 13 in Maranello which is a step not many have taken.
“But this year I felt it was time. I have made a big step this year performance wise on the track, so I do not think it has affected me at all.
“At the moment I am in the best spot I have ever been and would not be here without them.”
As he creeps closer to his dream of racing in F1, Wharton also knows his family have played a massive part ahead of an extra step up in 2025.
“I was never meant really to race and meant to just have some fun,” Wharton recalls of his early days.
James Wharton got his first taste of F3 driving for Hitech at Silverstone. Image: Supplied
“Then very quickly became a driver I felt able to make the sacrifices to get to F1.
“After a couple of years it got a bit out of control and moved to Europe at 9 years old.
“It went really quickly from just driving around a couple of laps a day to living by myself in Europe racing.
“It was a massive step and I think the earliest you could do it before junior karting.
“I saw the effort I was putting in alongside the sacrifices the family was making who believed in me.
“When you start no one else is there to help you apart from your parents and 99% of people don’t know who you are.
“I am extremely proud and grateful for the sacrifices my parents made.”
Images: Dutch Photo Agency
READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF AUTO ACTION HERE
Don’t forget the print edition of Auto Action available via subscription here. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.
