Photo: ACI Sport
Alex Powell has taken the place of Louis Sharp in Prema’s Formula 3 line-up following the Kiwi’s departure from the team.
Sharp announced his withdrawal from the series on social media, conceding that “continuing for the remaining rounds is no longer financially viable.”
Having moved from Rodin Motorsport to Prema for his sophomore season, the New Zealander has struggled for performance this year. He lies 17th in the standings following the Hungaroring round, with a best finish of fourth in the Silverstone feature race.
Sharp thanked “Stephen [Mitas, Prema CEO and Team Principal], Swampy and everyone at Prema for the season we’ve had together. It’s been a challenging year results-wise and, with championship contention no longer realistic, and as a result, it makes sense to direct my focus towards securing the right options for 2027.
“I’ve learnt a huge amount racing at this level, hold everyone in the team in high regard and I’m grateful for Prema’s support of me and my family through this decision.”
Emphasizing that the decision to part ways was a mutual one, Mitas added that: “Louis has been a pleasure to have in the team this year and a top talent. His qualifying pace and raw speed were consistently strong, and he brought great energy to everyone around him at Prema. We understand and support his focus on 2027, and we look forward to following his progress.”
The team wasted no time in announcing former AMG-Mercedes F1 junior, Alex Powell, as Sharp’s replacement for the remainder of the season.
Powell took the Italian Formula 4 rookie title with Prema in 2024, before moving to R-ace GP for a disappointing F4 season in 2025. Following a promising winter in the UAE where he finished runner-up, the team was unable to show the same pace in Europe, leaving an occasionally despondent Powell back in ninth despite a double success at Mugello mid-season.
After leaving the AMG-Mercedes programme, the American-Jamaican driver made the move to Eurocup-3 for 2026 with Campos where he has taken two podiums to date, as the team has been largely outpaced by rival teams Palou Motorsport and MP Motorsport.
Mitas expressed his delight at welcoming Powell back to Prema.” He’s a driver we know well, and one who has already shown us what he can do in F4. His pace, racecraft and attitude make him a strong fit to contest the remainder of the season, and we’re looking forward to working together again.”
Powell himself added that: “It means a lot to be coming back to Prema. This team gave me my first opportunity in single-seaters, and returning for the final part of the F3 2026 season is a great opportunity to show what I can do. I can’t wait to get in the car, and I’ll give it everything.”