It was not the start PREMA Racing wanted for its 2026 FIA Formula 3 campaign at the Albert Park Circuit, home of the opening round of the series and a support race for the Australian Grand Prix.
Coming from a promising qualifying session, the Italian squad was prevented from fighting for points in Melbourne and had two cars sidelined by a crash.
After a challenging Sprint Race start, James Wharton and Louis Sharp were battling in the points when they made contact in Turn 5 and ended up hard into the barriers. The race was stopped for cleanup and barrier repair and never resumed.
Following medical evaluations after the accident, the team and medical staff jointly took the decision to withdraw both drivers from the remainder of the weekend. James and Louis are in good spirits and recovering well, and are expected to return to the cockpit in the coming weeks.
Driving the #22 car, José Garfias finished P24 in the shortened Sprint Race and P25 in the Feature Race. The Mexican showed solid pace and made swift moves from the start. However, contact cost him track position on both occasions, especially when front wing repairs and a puncture led to a double pit stop in the Feature Race.
As it wraps up a challenging opening round of the FIA Formula 3 season, PREMA Racing would like to thank the FIA medical team and circuit staff for their immediate response and care and looks forward to welcoming Sharp and Wharton back on track.