James Wharton moves to PREMA Racing for the 2026 season

PREMA Racing have confirmed their second driver signing for the 2026 season, with James Wharton set to join the team.

Wharton is returning for a second season in Formula 3, following a rookie campaign where he achieved victory in the Spielberg Sprint Race and finished 18th in the Drivers’ Championship.

Prior to that, the Australian driver raced for PREMA for three years, finishing as the runner-up in the 2023 Euro 4 Championship and the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.

In addition to that, Wharton won the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship.

The 19-year-old is now set for another stint with the Italian outfit, and speaking at the announcement, Wharton expressed his delight to be back with PREMA.

“Super excited to be back at my second home for the 2026 season,” said Wharton. “Going into testing is about getting comfortable with the car and back with the team, and to make full preparations to enter 2026 on the right foot and be able to start strong at home in Melbourne.

“I missed PREMA a lot. The family I have there is amazing, and everyone in the team is just exceptional people.”

PREMA Racing Team Principal Rene Rosin added: "We are extremely happy to welcome James back to PREMA. We really enjoyed working with him since his very first steps in motorsport. We are proud of his journey, and we truly believe in his potential. To have him on board for 2026 makes great sense, and we are looking forward to seeing what the season has in store for us.”