With two more victories and three pole positions at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, James Wharton has achieved the goal he set himself when he arrived in the United Arab Emirates in January: to win the highly coveted and challenging 2023 UAE F4 Championship. The final round of the season once again demonstrated the competitiveness of the Ferrari Driver Academy driver. The 16-year-old Australian hopeful will now head to Europe and the Italian F4 Championship.
James Wharton can be satisfied with his performance throughout the five races of the UAE F4 Championship. The Motorsport Australia-backed driver has been fast, consistent and determined throughout. After taking the championship lead in Dubai, James arrived in Abu Dhabi very focused and managed to make a difference in both Qualifying sessions. The fastest times set on this occasion were one of the keys to this very important meeting.
A first F4 title that calls for more
"As soon as I arrived in Abu Dhabi, I focused on the search for performance with the Mumbai Falcons Racing team, without worrying about my position as championship leader," explained the Australian. "I expected the gaps to be close and they were. In the end, the excellent lap times I set secured me pole position for Races 1 and 3. The small thousandth difference with one of my rivals in the second session showed that you always have to give it your best shot at every corner!"
Leading from start to finish and masterful in managing the appearances of the safety car, James Wharton brilliantly won Race 1 on Saturday morning and therefore increased his lead in the Championship. Above all, he set the fastest lap in the race, which meant a pole position start for Race 2. Here again, the All Road Management driver made a clean sweep from the first to the last lap to take his fourth victory of the season and bring his number of podiums to 11!
The next day, Race 3 did not go as planned. "I got off to a good start, but my rivals quickly tried to put me under pressure. In the first corner, one tried to pass on the inside and my teammate attacked me from the outside. We came into the series of corners side by side and unfortunately, it ended in a collision, which was definitely not what I was hoping for as I knew that I only needed to finish this race in the leading group to confirm my position in the championship. Fortunately, I collected enough points over the five meetings to become UAE F4 Champion. Looking at the season as a whole, I think it's a deserved title, I fought for the win or the podium at every event."
"Since the beginning of my career, I have already managed to win a lot of races, both in karting and in single-seaters. But being crowned in this championship means a lot to me. And Mumbaï Falcons Racing winning the team title is great! I really want to thank the whole team, all the people who support me and my family. This is another important moment in my career and I will now focus on my second goal for 2023: the Italian F4 Championship," concluded the FDA driver.