James Wharton arrived in Kuwait with a strong desire to improve on his Dubai result, where he had two top-five finishes, including a podium. The Mumbai Falcons Racing driver immediately felt very comfortable in the Persian Gulf. "I really liked the circuit, both the track design and the modern infrastructure," said James. "The people who created this facility have done a really good job. It's a very fast track, so it's important to find the right balance on the car by improving the aerodynamics to find speed on the long straights, while remaining efficient on the twisty part and not letting the car slide too much."

Two podiums including a victory!

James Wharton was regularly at the forefront of the various collective tests and had a brilliant Qualifying session. "With the team, we worked in the right direction, I had a good feeling and I managed to finish P3 in the first session and P1 in the second. Very satisfying!" Always excellent at the start, the 16-year-old Australian made a superb manoeuvre shortly after the lights went out to take the lead in Race 1. After a magnificent clear run, he crossed the finish line with a substantial lead. "I was really happy to be able to win again in this Championship."

Once again 3rd on the grid in Race 2, he maintained his position as he completed the first lap, quickly putting pressure on the two rivals in front of him. "We had a long safety car episode and there wasn't much time left to fight for the win. I managed to overtake my team-mate, before attacking the leader and passing him. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake which allowed him to regain the lead."

In Race 3, the Motorsport Australia-backed driver was unfortunately unable to take advantage of his pole position, following a collision shortly after the start. James started from around 20th position and climbed back up to 13th, but was unable to increase his points tally. "Overall, it was a positive meeting with a win, a 2nd place and a move up to 3rd overall. I was competitive and I hope to confirm this in a few days time for the third of the four events of this Championship where we will be racing on this same circuit in Kuwait."

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.