The 19-year-old Melburnian makes his comeback to the Italian powerhouse after three seasons apart, having first raced with Prema through his formative single-seater years, including a dominant Formula 4 stint that produced 11 wins and the 2023 F4 UAE title.

Wharton’s reunion with Prema marks a homecoming to the team that launched his European career and guided him through the junior ranks to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA), where he finished runner-up in 2024 with four wins and rookie honours.

After switching to ART Grand Prix for his rookie F3 campaign this year, Wharton endured a mixed debut season but showed his potential with a breakthrough win in Austria’s Sprint Race — his first podium and the first F3 victory for an Australian since Jack Doohan in 2021.

He finished the season 18th in the standings with 25 points.

Speaking on his return, Wharton said he was thrilled to be back “at my second home” for the upcoming season.

“Going into testing is about getting comfortable with the car and back with the team, and to make full preparations to enter 2026 on the right foot and be able to start strong at home in Melbourne,” Wharton said.

“I missed Prema a lot. The family I have there is amazing, and everyone in the team is just exceptional people.”

The Australian has already taken part in post-season testing with the squad at Jerez, and will continue preparations at Barcelona and Imola in the lead-up to next year’s campaign.

Prema team principal Rene Rosin welcomed Wharton’s return, praising both his development and the strong relationship built since his earliest racing days.

“We are extremely happy to welcome James back to Prema,” Rosin said.

“We really enjoyed working with him since his very first steps in motorsport.

“We are proud of his journey, and we truly believe in his potential. To have him on board for 2026 makes great sense.”

The announcement reunites Wharton with the most successful outfit in modern Formula 3 history.

Since the championship’s 2019 relaunch, PREMA has claimed five of six team titles before an uncharacteristically difficult 2025 campaign, finishing seventh overall with 92 points and four podiums courtesy of Mexican driver Noel Leon.

The team has also delivered three F3 drivers’ titles — including one for fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri in 2020 — and boasts a total of 37 race victories from 130 starts.