James Wharton, the 18-year-old-driver from Australia, started his rookie 2025 F3 season with ART Grand Prix, following a brief outing with Hitech at Silverstone in 2024. He entered Formula 3 on the back of a strong FRECA campaign, where he finished as the 2024 runner-up. His season included four wins, with three of them back-to-back to close out the year. This, combined with six podiums, set him up well for the step up to F3.
Wharton’s first five rounds in F3 have been slow to start, though he has shown promise in the last two. His only points so far came from the Sprint Race in Barcelona, but he is steadily edging closer to consistent point-scoring positions.
Home Race debut in Melbourne
Wharton began his season at home in Albert Park, debuting in front of his home crowd. Mixed weather and a flurry of red and yellow flags created a chaotic start, with Wharton caught out in both Free Practice and Qualifying. He started the Sprint Race from P22, but after gaining four places, he collided with Rafael Câmara, ending his race early.
As a result, he received a five-place grid penalty and started the Feature Race in P26. Despite the setback, he showed improvement, finishing P21 after gaining five spots in a turbulent race.
Bahrain showed sparks of potential
Wharton showed strong potential in Bahrain, even if the final results didn’t reflect his pace. He started Qualifying with a promising P3, but heavy traffic on his second lap dropped him to P24. In the Sprint Race, he fought hard through the field, gaining 11 positions to finish P13.
He wasn’t as fortunate in the Feature Race, making contact with another driver and being forced to pit for a new front wing, which dropped him to P29. Despite showing strong pace afterwards, the early damage left Wharton without points from the second round of the 2025 F3 season.
Slow starts in Imola
Wharton missed the Free Practice session in Imola due to mechanical issues with his ART GP car. With the track recently resurfaced, he struggled to build confidence ahead of Qualifying and could only manage P20. In the Sprint Race, he made up positions early but had to take evasive action after incidents ahead, dropping back to finish P22. He recovered in the Feature Race, using DRS effectively on the main straight to cross the line in P13, showing a clear boost in confidence.
Spectacular comeback in Monte Carlo
It was Wharton’s first appearance on the streets of Monaco, coming away with his career-best finish in F3. With a chaotic start to the weekend, with many laps compromised, he finished Free Practice in P29, and with the split Qualifying session, he finished with P22. The Sprint Race made no difference for Wharton, due to Monaco’s tight layout, where he did not improve.
Sunday’s Feature Race was where it all came together for Wharton. With his consistent pace, strategic awareness and capitalising on others’ mistakes, he made his way from P22 all the way to P11, with his best finish. He came away as one of the top performers of the 2025 F3 Monaco weekend, with his display on the streets of Monte Carlo.
First points of the season in Barcelona
Wharton initially qualified P12, which would have put him on the front row for the Sprint Race. However, after Bilinski had a lap reinstated post-Qualifying, Wharton was bumped to P13. He made a brilliant start, jumping from P13 to P6 at lights out while avoiding trouble. Although he struggled for pace in the closing stages, he held on to finish P8—securing his first points of the season.
The Feature Race began in chaos, but Wharton maintained P12 off the line. One standout moment came during a three-wide battle with Inthraphuvasak and Voisin, where he impressively held his position. On the final lap, he overtook Inthraphuvasak for P11 and was provisionally promoted to P10. However, a 5-second penalty for exceeding track limits dropped him back to P16.
Wharton one to watch heading into the second half of the 2025 F3 season
Although Wharton may not have the points to reflect his growth in F3, his confidence and race pace have been emerging and evident. He’s currently sitting in P25, but if he starts earning points, he will quickly make his way up the ladder. Wharton is snapping at the heels of the points, and with Spielberg next on the list, he will be wanting to replicate last year’s display and results from FRECA, where he took victory in Race 1. The Aussie has made slow but steady strides and will be one to watch for the remainder of the 2025 F3 Championship.
