Australian driver James Wharton delivered an outstanding performance at the Red Bull Ring, securing his second victory of the season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA). Across a challenging weekend under varying weather conditions, Wharton built on the momentum from his double-podium finish in Imola.
The weekend kicked off with a strong showing during Friday’s Collective Tests, where Wharton consistently topped the timesheets, especially in the afternoon session. On Saturday, Wharton earned pole position, his third this season, in wet conditions. He went on to win Race 1 flag-to-flag, despite two Safety Car interruptions and a late challenge from Evan Giltaire, maintaining his composure to secure a dominant victory.
Sunday’s Race 2 brought new challenges. After a difficult qualifying session that saw Wharton start from 16th position due to a red flag, the Australian pulled off a remarkable recovery, cutting through the field to finish in fifth place. His weekend results earned him 35 championship points, pushing him up to fourth in the overall drivers’ standings.
James Wharton remarked, «It has been a really really positive weekend. Overall, we have made a big step compared to Imola, we added another victory for the year and even on Sunday, after a hard qualifying, we came away with good points. I couldn't be happier with this weekend. Prema did an amazing job, providing me with such a perfect car. Hopefully, we can keep going like this for the rest of the season».
The next championship round will occur at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from September 27th-29th, where Wharton aims to build on his recent success.