The announcement made last month sees the pair come together at the Italian team following their respective rookie seasons with ART Grand Prix and Rodin Motorsport, each eager to convert the lessons of 2025 into a championship challenge next year.
Wharton, who became the first Australian to win an F3 race since Jack Doohan in 2021 with his breakthrough victory in Austria, described to Speedcafe the move as both a homecoming and a statement of intent.
“I’ve seen a couple of photos of me from testing now, and I just feel like I look a little bit happier, even outside of the racing,” Wharton said.
“So yeah, I’m super happy to be back and can’t wait for next season and can’t wait to get started.”
The 19-year-old Melburnian previously raced with Prema through his junior ranks, contending for the Formula Regional European and Euro 4 Championship crown with the team before making the step up to F3 this year with ART.
He said returning to the Italian team — which guided fellow Australian Oscar Piastri to the 2020 F3 title — felt like the right environment to rediscover his best form.
“At the end of the day, I made the decision going to win the championship,” he said.
“I feel like it’s definitely going to take a lot of effort. I’m not expecting just to be handed a silver platter with the win, that’s for sure.
“But at the same time, I’m already really confident in the work we’re doing behind the scenes to make sure we’re in the right position for Melbourne.”
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Sharp, meanwhile, makes the move after an encouraging but testing rookie campaign that included points finishes in Monaco and Imola, where he finished fourth in the Sprint Race.
The 18-year-old Christchurch driver told Speedcafe that joining Prema represented the perfect opportunity to turn experience into results.
“I’m very proud to be in the position I am to say that I’ll be driving for the team next year,” Sharp said.
“They’ve obviously got a very strong and proven history in Formula 3. Not only that, junior motorsport.
“They’ve won a lot of championships and promoted a lot of drivers to Formula 1.
“So I’m very excited, and I really don’t think there’s a better place I could be for next season.”
Sharp acknowledged that while his 2025 season fell short of expectations, it provided the learning curve needed to mount a genuine title tilt.
“It’s been an incredibly tough season,” he said.
“Although it’s been tough, I think it’s made me a better driver for it and I think it’s made that want and that fight to go out next year and do even better, even stronger.
“I’ve learnt a lot and I think now I’m in a very good environment to go out and put those learnings together and to fight for more.
“So even more motivation, even more determination. And I definitely don’t want a repeat of this year.
“So I’m looking to go out there and absolutely smash it.”
Both drivers have already completed post-season testing with Prema, joining rookie teammate Enzo Deligny as part of the team’s 2026 line-up.
They impressed across the two events at Barcelona and Imola, with Wharton featuring in the top 10 in six of eight sessions and Sharp in four, each recording a best result of third in separate runs.
Prema endured an uncharacteristically difficult 2025 season, finishing seventh in the standings, but remains the benchmark in F3 with 37 race wins and five teams’ titles since 2019.
For Wharton, the return to the team that launched his European career also comes with national motivation.
“I just want to be known as an Australian,” he said.
“Maybe I don’t live in Australia, but I’m still Australian at heart and I’ll always be.
“So for me, it’s about putting the Australian flag back at the top.
“If I can be the next Oscar Piastri, I’ve done a good job. That’s my whole goal in life at the moment.
“At the moment, I have nothing else at 19 years old to be worrying about than trying to be the next Oscar Piastri.”
Sharp, too, is keen to continue New Zealand’s successful association with Prema, following in the footsteps of Marcus Armstrong, who finished runner-up with the team in 2019.
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“They’ve got a very good history of Kiwi drivers,” Sharp said.
“They like Kiwi drivers. I think that definitely helped.
“So definitely looking to continue on what the guys before me have done, and hopefully at least match them, if not do even better.”
And while both are united in their determination to restore Prema’s dominance and fight for victories, their friendly rivalry adds a layer of competitive fire.
“I’ve always thought Australians are better than Kiwis and I will stand by that,” Wharton laughed.
“So I hope that comes to fruition next year and he can be a good teammate of mine, but hopefully not one that beats me.”
Sharp, naturally, was quick to respond.
“I’ll get a lot of hate from my family and friends back home if I let an Australian beat me,” he said.
“So definitely need to make sure I get the better of him.”
The pair’s light-hearted Trans-Tasman banter belies a shared seriousness about their 2026 campaign.
Both have targeted consistency, teamwork and racecraft as central to a title push — qualities long associated with Prema’s winning culture.
With an eye on a strong start at Wharton’s home race in Melbourne next March, the duo enter the off-season united in ambition yet separated by a rivalry that could shape the 2026 Formula 3 season.
“I want as much pressure as I could possibly have because that’s what I strive for,” Wharton said.
“I want people to expect me to win. That’s something that I expect for myself.
“So I hope people expect that from me as well.”
For Sharp, the mission is just as clear.
“Fighting for the championship is 100% what I’ve come here to do,” he said.
“It’s why I’ve come back for a second season.
“At the very least, I need to be up there fighting for consistent podiums and consistent wins.
“If I’m able to do that over the course of the year, then the title will naturally work itself out.”
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