James Wharton Achieves First FIA Formula 3 Win in Spielberg

Spielberg, Austria – James Wharton celebrated his first victory in the FIA Formula 3 Championship during the Spielberg Sprint Race on Saturday.

The Australian driver, racing for ART Grand Prix, maintained his lead from pole position, fending off intense pressure from Alessandro Giusti of MP Motorsport throughout the 21-lap race. Wharton’s strong start ensured he kept the front as the race unfolded.

A late Safety Car incident, caused by a collision involving Charlie Wurz and Brando Badoer, allowed Wharton to extend his lead. He finished the race comfortably ahead of Giusti, who secured his second consecutive podium after a third-place finish in Barcelona.

PREMA Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu crossed the finish line in third but received a 10-second penalty post-race for leaving the track, which dropped him to 16th place. This promotion elevated Nikola Tsolov to third place, followed by teammates Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak and Mari Boya.

Tim Tramnitz from MP Motorsport climbed from 17th to finish sixth, while McLaren-backed Martinius Stenshorne took seventh after starting from 15th place. Callum Voisin finished eighth for Rodin Motorsport, closely followed by TRIDENT’s Rafael Câmara and PREMA’s Noel León, who wrapped up the point-scoring positions.

Wharton expressed his excitement after the race, stating, “P1 in the Sprint Race today, first win in F3, which is incredible. I can’t thank the team enough. We’ve had a tough start to the season, but we’ve been pretty strong the last couple of races.”

The drivers will return for more action at the Red Bull Ring, with the Feature Race scheduled for 08:00 local time on Sunday.