The new year has not started as James Wharton would have liked. In 2020, his first season in OK was very encouraging and the objective remains logically to confirm his potential as soon as possible. "At the moment it is clear that results are slow in coming, but my motivation remains intact. We are working hard with the Parolin Motorsport team to get back on track. I remember that I was fighting at the front in the first race in February before I encountered problems. I'm sure the good results will come back soon, one way or another," commented the fast Australian.

Moving on from disappointment

The recently resurfaced La Conca surface posed some problems for James Wharton and his team. "We know that a key feature of this circuit is that it offers a lot more grip than other tracks we know. But this time the high grip phenomenon was even more pronounced. Already in Free Practice we couldn't find the right balance for the situation, so the engine was struggling to deliver its power optimally. It was really frustrating."

In Timed Practice there were no miracles and the Australian found himself in the bottom third of the standings. Fortunately, his fighting spirit allowed him to regularly gain places, especially during his Prefinal. "I had an excellent start to the race. The objective of getting into the top 17 to qualify for the Final was achieved, as I managed to get up to 11th."

James Wharton, who has been followed by Nicolas Todt's company All Road Management since the winter, was hoping to improve his position in the final race of the meeting, but a collision put an end to his performance in the opening laps. "I'm still optimistic and 2021 may hold some nice surprises for me. Maybe as early as the next race at Sarno near Naples, where I plan to compete in another WSK Super Master Series event."

About James Wharton

James Wharton is a 15-year-old Australian kart driver currently competing internationally in his second season in the premier class, OK, with the official Parolin Racing Kart factory team.

James started racing karting in Australia at the age of seven. He then shone in the most important single-brand world challenges before making his debut in FIA Karting competition. 13th in the World Junior Championship in his first season in 2018, he also won the KA 100 Junior class in Las Vegas at the SKUSA SuperNationals.

In 2019, in his first full season in OK-Junior, he achieved top results: 9th in the European Championship, 4th in the Italian Championship and 2nd in the legendary Winter Cup in Lonato. He was again victorious at the SKUSA SuperNationals in Las Vegas in the X30-Junior category.

An official driver for the Parolin Motorsport Srl team, James is involved in the development and tuning of the equipment thanks to a very good rapport with Albino and Marco Parolin. Despite a 2020 disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, he has rapidly progressed in the category hierarchy and is aiming for a season rich in results.

Thanks to his competitiveness and fighting qualities, James Wharton was selected to join the prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy. Managed by All Road Management, Nicolas Todt's company, James Wharton will continue his career in karting in 2021, before taking the plunge into single-seater racing in the near future.