James Wharton Clinches First F3 Win in Spielberg Sprint Thriller
What a race weekend it’s been at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg! If you missed it, let me walk you through one of the standout moments—James Wharton’s incredible maiden victory in the FIA Formula 3 Sprint Race. This wasn’t just another win. It was a lights-to-flag masterclass from a young Australian driver who’s been working tirelessly all season to finally make this breakthrough.
Starting from pole, Wharton, representing ART Grand Prix, nailed the launch and immediately took control of the race. Despite the immense pressure from MP Motorsport’s Alessandro Giusti—who’s been showing solid form lately—Wharton never cracked. Giusti tried everything: sticking close in the DRS zones, looking for overtaking opportunities at Turn 3 and Turn 4, but Wharton’s racecraft held firm. He defended smartly, managed his tyres perfectly, and stayed composed through the chaos.
Now, let’s not forget the drama in the background. There were a couple of Safety Car periods triggered by incidents—particularly one between Charlie Wurz and Brando Badoer—that bunched the field up again and again. Each restart gave Giusti a fresh shot at the lead, but Wharton managed to fend off those attacks and even pull a small gap when it mattered most. That final sprint to the finish after the second Safety Car? Wharton nailed it.
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Behind him, things weren’t exactly smooth sailing either. PREMA Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu initially crossed the line in third, only to be slapped with a 10-second time penalty for gaining an advantage off-track. That penalty bumped him all the way down to P16, elevating Nikola Tsolov into the final podium spot. It was a wild shuffle, but a fair one given the circumstances.
For Wharton, this victory wasn’t just about standing on the top step of the podium—it was about validation. He said it himself post-race: he’d been dreaming of this moment all season. After scoring his first points in Spain, he finally put it all together in Austria—raw speed, tyre management, and strategic awareness. It’s a huge momentum boost heading into the second half of the year.
And you could tell from his words just how much this win meant. He talked about how crucial it was for the team, how hard they’ve worked through the triple header, and how this moment might just be the turning point they’ve all been waiting for.
Even with Sunday’s Feature Race still ahead, the buzz around Wharton’s win was electric. It’s not every day you see a rookie control a race like that under constant pressure. He’s now a name to watch closely in the rest of the F3 season.
So yes, Spielberg delivered once again—not just as a stunning racetrack nestled in the Austrian hills, but as the site of a young driver’s career-defining moment. James Wharton, take a bow.
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