PREMA Racing season review: A year of lessons

13 November 2025

2025 was a shaking up of the form book in FIA Formula 3, as perennial Champions PREMA Racing suffered a difficult season, winding up seventh in the Teams’ Standings.

Having achieved so much success in the Championship since it’s inception, setting records and a target for their rivals to catch, it came as a disappointment to Team Principal Rene Rosin, who analysed the Italian outfit’s difficult campaign.

Reflecting on the year, Rosin believes that a setback starting at pre-season testing meant the team was playing catch up in the early phase of the campaign, and it wasn’t until mid-season that PREMA was able to show a more familiar level of competitiveness.

“The start of 2025 was absolutely tough,” Rosin began. “Already starting from the pre-season test, the result was not what we were expecting, but the team was working pretty hard in trying to turn it around.

“I think from Imola Qualifying, it has been pretty positive. Of course, we didn't get a good result - we had a bit too much deg in the races. But then after that we continued working and improving and from Red Bull Ring onward, we were constantly fighting for podium and top rows in Qualifying.

PREMA started off the season on the back foot but recovered by mid-season

“That has been the big turning point for us. There were no particular factors in the turning point. We were, of course, trying to understand if we had done mistakes on our side. But mainly, I think, it was a mix of situations.

“When you win, it’s down to everyone, together: drivers, team, everybody. So even when you lose it’s a mix of things. So, we didn't work perfectly over the winter test, and that compromised the first part of the season.”

While results didn’t come easy at the start of 2025, Rosin says that what did impress him was the team’s work ethic in fighting back from the positions they found themselves in.

Recovering from the early setbacks of the flyaway rounds, the PREMA team boss says the team showed the right response as they returned to fighting for top positions in Qualifying and in the races.

“Looking at how difficult and how high the level is in Formula 3, the pre-season test is fundamental to nail for the first rounds. Having not had a strong pre-season, that compromised our first part of season. It was not the season I was expecting, having always fought for Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships since the start of F3 in 2019.

Rosin says he was proud of the team's hard work that got them fighting at the front once more

“But, what I was happy with was the big turnaround, because to be one of the slowest teams in the first part of the season, to becoming one of the fastest and improving in races and in quali, it has been a big turnaround.

“We were missing a win, which was possible at a few races, but lots can happen, weather, accidents and so on, but I will not use that as an excuse. But the big turnaround that we had from the middle this season onwards has been really, really important for us.”

Focus now switches to 2026, a season in which PREMA will field an all-new line-up of drivers, with James Wharton returning to the reds, while Louis Sharp joins him for a second F3 campaign alongside rookie Enzo Deligny.

Rosin believes that the team has the right drivers and experiences from 2025 to make a step forward from where they found themselves this year, and return to the top where they have so often been in the F3 Championship.

PREMA have an all-new line-up for 2026, with Louis Sharp joined by James Wharton and Enzo Deligny

“We have three new drivers for 2026, one that we know already and have done for quite a long time. James grew up with us in Formula 4 and in Formula Regional, and we are really happy that he's back with us, I'm sure that he can do a good job.

“The others are two new drivers for us. We did a very good job during the winter tests in Jerez, Barcelona and Imola. We were not really focusing of on lap time, but trying to get all the drivers and team integrating well with each other and trying to understand and test more things in view of next season.

“So we were really happy about all the tests, of course. Now we need to continue working in the post-season in order to get ready and fight back to the top positions, starting from Melbourne next year.”