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Wharton Ends Prema F3 Win Drought With Barcelona Sprint Victory

The win hands Wharton his first points plus the fastest lap of 2026 and gives Prema a timely confidence boost ahead of the Feature race.

Overview

  • James Wharton won the Formula 3 Sprint race at Barcelona-Catalunya on Saturday, June 13, with Freddie Slater second and Gerrard Xie third.
  • Wharton started second, briefly fell to third, then used a tow and a Lap 5 DRS pass into Turn 1 to take the lead and held on through two Safety Car restarts.
  • Ernesto Rivera and championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu caused the incidents that produced the Safety Cars, and Wharton also recorded the race's fastest lap.
  • The result moved Wharton to 12th in the drivers’ standings, lifted Slater level with Ugochukwu on 43 points, and left Campos Racing leading the teams' table on 78 points.
  • The victory is Prema's first F3 win since Belgium 2024 and gives Wharton and the team momentum and morale to carry into Sunday's Feature race.