For more than a week, with two consecutive races held on the same circuit, the Kuwait Motor Town complex has been buzzing with the exploits of the UAE F4 Championship drivers and in particular James Wharton, who has consistently confirmed his competitiveness on this fast track where strategy has played a big part. "Each of the three races was incredibly difficult to manage, even starting from the front row each time," said James. "It was very foggy for Race 1 and sand had settled on the circuit, making the car difficult to drive. We also had several safety car periods. At each restart, the drivers behind me could take advantage of my slipstreaming. But in the end, it was an excellent meeting, both in terms of performance and points scored. I was the only one to finish on the podium in every race. I stayed focused on my objectives and I tried not to make any mistakes. This consistency didn't stop me from being fast, as shown by my two pole position starts, the fastest lap in Race 1 and the win in Race 3. We have clearly been working in the right direction with the Mumbai Falcons Racing team. We will need to continue to perform well and keep our heads in the next few races."

FDA colours on top of the podium

On Tuesday 31st January, it all started with two Qualifying sessions finishing in 2nd and 1st positions, which successively determined the starting grids for Races 1 and 3. In the first race, the Motorsport Australia and All Road Management-supported driver maintained his 2nd place at lights out. He then put pressure on the leader throughout the 11 laps, but the positions remained unchanged until the chequered flag was dropped. Thanks to his fastest lap, James Wharton took pole position in Race 2, which was marred by incidents and regroupings of the field behind the safety car. Each time, the small lead that he had managed to build up was reduced to nothing.

Despite being the leader for a long time, he ended up losing a place, as one of his rivals took advantage of the slipstreaming phenomenon to overtake him at the end of the long fast part of the Kuwait circuit. He took his revenge in Race 3 by leading from start to finish with brio from his pole position. This was his second win of the season and, together with his podium finishes in the previous races, moved him up to second in the Championship. The championship will continue on 11th-12th February at the Dubai Autodrome, before concluding on 18th-19th February at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

About James Wharton

James Wharton is a 16-year-old Australian racing driver, who is competing in his second international season in Formula 4 in 2023. Currently supported by the Ferrari Driver Academy, All Road Management and Motorsport Australia, James began karting in his native Australia at the age of seven. He has gone on to shine in some of the world's most important single-brand challenges.

A two-time winner of the prestigious SKUSA SuperNationals in Las Vegas in Junior, he went on to shine in FIA Karting competitions from 2018 to 2021, where he learned a great deal from top teams like RFM and Parolin Motorsport. Numerous podiums were achieved, culminating in a brilliant 5th position in the KZ2 International Super Cup, a de facto World Cup for the category.

James Wharton won his second F4 meeting in Dubai and finished 5th in the UAE Championship with a total of four wins, three pole positions and four fastest laps. During the 2022 season, the Australian followed up with two more 5th places in the Italian and German F4 Championships, with an impressive consistency: 20 top five finishes including eight podiums.

In 2023, the Australian will compete in his second F4 season with the Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited team.