The Melbourne driver joined Dutch teammate Laurens Van Hoepen at Trident Motorsport at the Lusail circuit, stepping into the seat vacated by Norwegian Martinius Stenshorne.

Starting from the back of the grid in the Sprint Race, Wharton immediately faced a steep learning curve. A collision with his teammate on lap 14 forced him to retire with suspension damage, while Van Hoepen finished 19th.

In the Feature Race, Wharton ran as high as 17th, but a pit-lane error and a track-cutting penalty ultimately dropped him to 19th. Van Hoepen finished 18th after running a longer strategy on harder tyres and navigating a late safety car.

Reflecting on his debut on social media, Wharton said it had been an “exciting” experience.

“A weekend of learning and adapting, and even with a few unexpected twists, taking on this new challenge was genuinely exciting,” he said.

 

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“Unfortunately, a struggle with the tyre during the pit stop cost us the Feature Race. But despite that, I’m extremely thankful to Trident for giving me the chance to enjoy such an amazing experience. For now, it’s a see you soon, not a goodbye.”

Trident team manager Giacomo Ricci said he was pleased with the progress shown by both drivers.

“Considering our starting positions, we weren’t expecting miracles,” he said after the Feature Race.

“We varied our drivers’ strategies, and they gained experience and at times performed at a competitive pace. We weren’t able to finish in the points, but I’m pleased with the potential seen in the performances of Laurens Van Hoepen and James Wharton.”

Wharton will not return for this weekend’s season finale at Yas Marina, with Trident instead fielding Thai driver Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak alongside Van Hoepen.

Italian Leonardo Fornaroli wrapped up the 2025 F2 title in Qatar with a round to spare, joining the ranks of drivers like Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto as a back-to-back F3 and F2 champion.