Wharton: Silverstone charge proof of driving gains in recent weeks

8 July 2025

James Wharton was hugely satisfied with his work leaving Silverstone, as the ART Grand Prix driver enjoyed a Sunday surge through the pack from P20 on the grid to sixth by the chequered flag.

The Australian rookie got the strategic call right on the grid ahead of the race, following a pre-race downpour that left the field split on tyre compounds between dry Hards or Wet Pirelli tyres for the start.

Recalling the decision-making process on the grid, Wharton says he was convinced of the Wet tyres early on, and that things were straightforward for him and the team in the important moments ahead of lights out.

“To be honest, it was quite chilled from my side, even though the race was quite chaotic. There was quite a lot of people on slick tyres, but quite a lot on wets a well, same as me.

“It was a combination of the team and I, but I was definitely confident to be on the Wet tyres. I said to the team on the laps to the grid that it was going to be full Wet. We did put slicks on for a second, but I knew we would make the right decision.

“I think the team take a lot of confidence away if the driver knows what they want. I feel sorry for the people on the slicks because it wasn’t the right choice today. But last year I was the opposite, stayed on wets, ended up finishing last. So, I’m quite happy.”

Wharton got the tyre strategy right and earned another confidence-boosting result at Silverstone

With that decision out of the way, the focus returned to the racing and Wharton did not disappoint. He made great use of the wet tyres on the opening lap to surge through the field and into the top 10.

The ART driver says that he was able to place his car in the right place at the right time in order to make several moves in the opening corners. From there, he says he was able to put the lessons from the Sprint Race into practice for the Feature.

“It wasn’t a fluke or that we got lucky. We had the pace"

“I just made up spots on the first lap, always found myself in the right place, which is always quite tough in those conditions whereas yesterday I had the opposite.

“Lap 1 put me in a really good spot, going from 20th to eighth and making up 12 spots in about six or seven corners, which was super cool. “But at the end of the day, we had the pace to be there today, and I feel we should have been there from the start.

“In the Sprint Race, I should have started up front, and then in the Feature we would have been there as well. So I feel the result in the Feature is representative of the pace we have.

“It wasn’t a fluke or something that we got lucky with. We had the pace, and I think we’ll have the pace to fight at the front over the next couple of races too.”

Though starting on the Wet tyres was a big performance differentiator on Sunday, Wharton believes that he and ART have made big progress in recent rounds in terms of pure pace.

The ART driver says upcoming races should continue to suit him and the team

The Australian driver claimed a maiden F3 victory a fortnight ago in Spielberg, as he took the Sprint Race win.

He detailed the changes that had brought about stronger results in recent rounds.

“We’ve definitely made a step forward the last couple of weeks. I think a lot of teams are starting to understand this car a lot better, but at the same time, I feel my driving has come a long way from the start of the season.

"I’ve made a huge step forward, and the team’s doing a mega job"

“I felt really good with the old car, not so good at the start of this year with the new car. But I’m really starting to really find my feet again, and when I have confidence, I feel like I can be fast anywhere and in any car.

“So, I’ve made a huge step forward, and the team’s doing a mega job. But I feel there’s been a lot of driving development in the last couple of weeks that has put us in an even better spot.”

Looking ahead, Wharton says that Spa is another track that should suit him and ART. He pointed to previous results in different categories as a positive, filling him with confidence ahead of Round 8 of the 2025 F3 campaign.

“Spa is another good track for me. I’ve said that a lot the last couple of weeks, but I’ve been to the track before and had a couple of wins around Spa as well, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be another hectic Qualifying, probably one that’s a bit up in the air and leaving people guessing what’s going to happen next.

“But, at the same time, I feel super confident with the next three tracks and can’t wait to get started, because I know we have the pace, and I just need to deliver in Qualifying and have a clean session.”