James Wharton came home from Belgium with a total of 30 points in the drivers’ standings, just 2 points off second place. The Australian driver showed his potential in what started as an extremely difficult race weekend.
Saturday was particularly unlucky for James Wharton. During Qualifying 1, a mechanical issue beyond the team's control caused an accident at Eau Rouge-Raidillon, preventing him from participating in Race 1 due to extensive car damage. Despite the significant setback, the PREMA team demonstrated great determination and skill by replacing the chassis for Sunday.
In Qualifying 2, James managed to be fastest in Group B and start in second position. In Race 2, he quickly adapted to the new chassis to get third place at the checkered flag, securing his second podium finish in FRECA, and earning important points for the championship.
“Overall, it was a tough weekend despite our strong pace. Saturday was particularly unlucky due to a mechanical failure beyond the team's control. However, given that we had to install a new chassis for Sunday, I think we did an excellent job adapting. I spent the race learning about the new chassis and trying to get the most out of each lap. Finishing on the podium still earned us good points, but this weekend luck was not on our side. Now, we need to head to Zandvoort, continue improving, and keep chipping away, as we have one of the fastest cars on the track”.
Despite being a positive result, the performance at Spa-Francorchamps did not fully showcase the Australian's true potential. The next round of the Formula Regional by Alpine European Championship is scheduled for June 7th-9th in Zandvoort. James aims to maximize the car's potential and continue accumulating valuable points for the championship standing.