James Wharton (racing driver)

Last updated

James Wharton
F4 Italy 2023 Mugello Nr. 13 Wharton (1).jpg
Wharton at the Mugello Circuit in 2023
Nationality Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australian
Born (2006-07-08) 8 July 2006 (age 17)
Bundoora, Australia
Italian F4 Championship career
Debut season 2022
Current team Prema Racing
Car number13
Starts41 (42 entries)
Wins2
Podiums13
Poles3
Fastest laps2
Best finish4th in 2023
Previous series
2022
2022 		ADAC Formula 4
Formula 4 UAE Championship

James Anthony Wharton (born 8 July 2006) is an Australian racing driver who most recently competed in the Italian F4 Championship with Prema Racing. He was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy between 2021 and 2023.

Contents

Career

Karting

Born in Bundoora in 2006, Wharton began karting at the age of eight in his homeland of Australia. Following two years in Mini and Cadet karting he won eight out of ten races in his 2017 season, winning the Australian Championship in the process. Following that him and his father moved to Europe to progress his career, where he spent four years contracted to Parolin, competing in various continental championships. [1]

Formula 4

2022

Starting his single-seater at the beginning of 2022, Wharton would compete in the Formula 4 UAE Championship with Abu Dhabi Racing, a team operated by Prema Racing. [2] The Australian dominated the first Dubai event, scoring three victories, and won the season-ending race at Yas Marina, taking home fifth in the standings. [3]

He remained with Prema for the European racing season, driving in the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championships. [4] Just like during the winter, Wharton ended up fifth in both series, having obtained his only victory at the Nürburgring.[ citation needed ]

2023

Wharton once again partook in F4 UAE at the beginning of 2023, being part of the Mumbai Falcons. [5] After a consistent campaign, which included four wins and a total of eleven podiums across 15 races, the Australian clinched the title as a result of a last-round collision with title rival and teammate Tuukka Taponen. [6] [7]

His European campaign with Prema in the Italian F4 Championship proved to be more challenging, as Wharton would end the year fourth in the standings despite a pair of wins at Spa-Francorchamps. [8] [9] He also ended up finishing second in the three-round Euro 4 Championship with two wins and three further podiums, missing out on the title to teammate Ugo Ugochukwu. [10]

Formula Regional

For 2024, Wharton moved up to the Formula Regional European Championship, once again driving for Prema. [11]

Formula One

At the end of 2020 Wharton was chosen by Motorsport Australia to be one of its representatives for the FDA 2020 Scouting World Finals. He ended up winning the shootout, therefore gaining a place in the Ferrari Driver Academy. [12]

In December 2023, it was announced that Wharton would be leaving the FDA going into the 2024 season. [13]

Karting record

Karting career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamPosition
2015SKUSA SuperNationals — TaG Cadet43rd
2016Australian Kart Championship — Cadet 124th
SKUSA SuperNationals — Mini SwiftKartsport North America26th
Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals — Mini MAXInternational Karting Distribution15th
2017Australian Kart Championship — Cadet 121st
ROK Cup International Final — Mini ROKParolin Racing Team7th
SKUSA SuperNationals — Mini SwiftKartSport North America14th
Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals — Mini MAXInt Karting Distributors3rd
2018South Garda Winter Cup — OKJParolin Racing Kart32nd
Victorian Kart Championship — KA3 Junior2nd
Rotax Max Challenge Euro Trophy — Junior2nd
CIK-FIA European Championship — OKJParolin Racing KartNC
CIK-FIA World Championship — OKJ13th
WSK Final Cup — OKJ7th
SKUSA SuperNationals — KA100 JuniorKartSport North America1st
SKUSA SuperNationals — X30 Junior18th
2019 WSK Champions Cup — OKJRicky Flynn Motorsport5th
South Garda Winter Cup — OKJ2nd
WSK Super Master Series — OKJ9th
WSK Euro Series — OKJ9th
IAME Euro Series — X30 JuniorPiers Sexton Racing49th
Italian Championship — OKJ4th
Coupe de France — OKJ11th
German Karting Championship — JuniorRicky Flynn Motorsport12th
CIK-FIA European Championship — OKJ9th
CIK-FIA World Championship — OKJParolin Racing Kart31st
Trofeo delle Industrie — OKJ4th
IAME International Final — X30 Junior13th
WSK Open Cup — OKJ13th
WSK Final Cup — OKJ7th
SKUSA SuperNationals — KA100 Junior3rd
SKUSA SuperNationals — X30 Junior1st
2020 WSK Champions Cup — OKParolin Racing Kart31st
South Garda Winter Cup — OK11th
WSK Super Master Series — OK18th
CIK-FIA European Championship — OK20th
WSK Euro Series — OK7th
Champions of the Future — OK32nd
CIK-FIA World Championship — OK17th
2021 WSK Champions Cup — OKParolin Motorsport33rd
WSK Super Master Series — KZ234th
WSK Super Master Series — OK36th
WSK Euro Series — OK25th
Champions of the Future — OK29th
CIK-FIA European Championship — OK23rd
CIK-FIA European Championship — KZ215th
CIK-FIA Karting International Super Cup — KZ25th
Sources: [14] [15]

Complete CIK-FIA Karting European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClass12345678DCPoints
2018Parolin Racing Kart OKJ SAR
QH		SAR
R		PFI
QH
41		PFI
R
DNQ		AMP
QH		AMP
R		LEM
QH		LEM
R		NC0
2019Ricky Flynn Motorsport OKJ ANG
QH
2		ANG
R
DNS		GEN
QH
47		GEN
R
DNQ		KRI
QH
14		KRI
R
9		LEM
QH
4		LEM
R
5		9th34
2020Parolin Racing Kart OK ZUE
QH
39		ZUE
R
DNQ		SAR
QH
27		SAR
R
12		WAC
QH
33		WAC
R
26		20th4
2021Parolin Motorsport OK GEN
QH
14		GEN
R
14		AUB
QH
38		AUB
R
DNQ		SAR
QH
21		SAR
R
12		ZUE
QH
34		ZUE
R
20		23rd7
KZ2 WAC
QH
26		WAC
R
8		GEN
QH
42		GEN
R
DNQ		15th8

Racing record

Racing career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2022 Formula 4 UAE Championship Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 1643451685th
Italian F4 Championship Prema Racing 2000051665th
ADAC Formula 4 Championship 1510231465th
2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited 15445112321st
Italian F4 Championship Prema Racing 212328205.54th
Euro 4 Championship 921151692nd
2024 Formula Regional Middle East Championship Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited 1500021116th
Formula Regional European Championship Prema Racing
GB3 Championship Fortec Motorsports

* Season still in progress.

Complete F4 UAE Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeam1234567891011121314151617181920PosPoints
2022 Prema Racing YMC1
1
3		 YMC1
2
5		 YMC1
3
24		 YMC1
4
9		 DUB1
1
1		 DUB1
2
1		 DUB1
3
1		 DUB1
4
6		 DUB2
1 		DUB2
2 		DUB2
3 		DUB2
4 		DUB3
1
8		 DUB3
2
11		 DUB3
3
10		 DUB3
4
4		 YMC2
1
Ret		 YMC2
2
14		 YMC2
3
4		 YMC2
4
1		5th168
2023 Mumbai Falcons DUB1
1
3		 DUB1
2
17		 DUB1
3
4		 KMT1
1
1		 KMT1
2
2		 KMT1
3
13		 KMT2
1
2		 KMT2
2
2		 KMT2
3
1		 DUB2
1
2		 DUB2
2
2		 DUB2
3
3		 YMC
1
1		 YMC
2
1		 YMC
3
Ret		1st232

Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeam123456789101112131415161718DCPoints
2022 Prema Racing SPA
1
Ret		 SPA
2
3		 SPA
3
9		 HOC
1
18		 HOC
2
6		 HOC
3
Ret		 ZAN
1
5		 ZAN
2
4		 ZAN
3
6		 NÜR1
1
4		 NÜR1
2
5		 NÜR1
3
1		 LAU
1 		LAU
2 		LAU
3 		NÜR2
1
3		 NÜR2
2
5		 NÜR2
3
4		5th146

Complete Italian F4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeam12345678910111213141516171819202122DCPoints
2022 Prema Racing IMO
1
4		 IMO
2
3		 IMO
3
9		 MIS
1
5		 MIS
2
3		 MIS
3
29†		 SPA
1
3		 SPA
2
5		 SPA
3
Ret		 VLL
1
3		 VLL
2
7		 VLL
3
4		 RBR
1
2		 RBR
2
6		 RBR
3 		RBR
4
4		 MNZ
1
30†		 MNZ
2
15		 MNZ
3
C		 MUG
1
Ret		 MUG
2
7		 MUG
3
5		5th166
2023 Prema Racing IMO
1
23†		 IMO
2 		IMO
3
5		 IMO
4
12		 MIS
1
3		 MIS
2
2		 MIS
3
28		 SPA
1
1		 SPA
2
1		 SPA
3
3		 MNZ
1
6		 MNZ
2
5		 MNZ
3
5		 LEC
1
3		 LEC
2
Ret		 LEC
3
2		 MUG
1
8		 MUG
2
9		 MUG
3
3		 VLL
1
5		 VLL
2
6		 VLL
3
4		4th205.5

Complete Formula Regional Middle East Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrant123456789101112131415DCPoints
2024 Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YMC1
1
4		 YMC1
2
24		 YMC1
3
7		 YMC2
1
5		 YMC2
2
Ret		 YMC2
3
5		 DUB1
1
28†		 DUB1
2
12		 DUB1
3
5		 YMC3
1
5		 YMC3
2
4		 YMC3
3
2		 DUB2
1
6		 DUB2
2
3		 DUB2
3
11		6th111

* Season still in progress.

Complete Formula Regional European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeam1234567891011121314151617181920DCPoints
2024 Prema Racing HOC
1 		HOC
2 		SPA
1 		SPA
2 		ZAN
1 		ZAN
2 		MUG
1 		MUG
2 		HUN
1 		HUN
2 		LEC
1 		LEC
2 		IMO
1 		IMO
2 		RBR
1 		RBR
2 		CAT
1 		CAT
2 		MNZ
1 		MNZ
2 		TBDTBD

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References

  1. ↑ Studenkov, Alexander (28 June 2022). "Ferrari prospect James Wharton reflects on his personal growth: 'Last year I had a lot to learn'". F1 Feeder Series. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "PREMA, Abu Dhabi Racing enter 2022 F4 UAE Season". Prema Powerteam . 17 January 2022. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022.
  3. ↑ Parker, Charlie (30 January 2022). "4 takeaways from F4 UAE Round 2: James Wharton dominates & Tatuus shows great racing". Feeder Series. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "Ferrari Driver Academy underway for 2022". Ferrari . 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "First entries announced for 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship Certified by FIA". F4 UAE Championship Certified by FIA. 29 December 2022.
  6. ↑ "WHARTON: WHAT NEXT FOR FDA GUN?". autoaction.com.au/. 23 February 2023.
  7. ↑ Brabner, George (20 February 2023). "Wharton wins title in dramatic finale: 4 takeaways from F4 UAE Round 5". feederseries.net.
  8. ↑ "Wharton set for second Formula 4 campaign with PREMA". Prema Team. 9 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Spadi, Daniele (21 December 2023). "Ferrari Driver Academy: 2023 driver-by-driver review". Feeder Series. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "Ugo Ugochukwu is the first Champion of the Euro 4 Championship". KartXpress. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Wood, Ida (3 January 2024). "James Wharton steps up to FREC with Prema". Formula Scout. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Lee (9 December 2020). "Karting Australia - VICTORIAN JAMES WHARTON WINS FERRARI DRIVER ACADEMY SELECTION". Karting Australia. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "A year of laying the groundwork with ambitious goals for 2024". www.ferrari.com. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "James Wharton | Racing career profile | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  15. ↑ kartcom (19 October 2016). "Wharton James" . Retrieved 6 May 2022.
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