Photo: Trident
Trident Motorsport has announced James Wharton as the first of its two drivers for the 2027 FIA Formula 2 championship.
The 20-year-old Australian is the second driver confirmed for next season, following Invicta Racing’s signing of Freddie Slater.
Wharton made his F2 debut with Trident in Qatar at the end of 2025, having been called up at short notice to fill the team’s second cockpit vacated by Max Esterson.
After finishing runner-up to Rafael Camara in Formula Regional Europe in 2024, he graduated to FIA Formula 3 with ART Grand Prix for the following season, taking a win in the Red Bull Ring sprint race.
For 2025 he returned to Prema, the team he had begun his single-seater career with, but could only improve one position in the championship standings to 17th as the former single-seater behemoth struggled.
Wharton again claimed one reverse-grid victory, this time at Barcelona, although he finished the year on a high with another Spanish sprint race podium at the Madring.
Giacomo Ricci, Trident’s team manager, welcomed Wharton to the team, commenting that “he is undoubtedly a highly talented driver, and he has successfully progressed through all the top junior categories, consistently showing that, whenever given the opportunity, he has the ability to compete at the front. We are very happy to begin this journey together.
“2027 will be James’ rookie season in Formula 2, and we will do everything we can to give him the best possible preparation. He is a very dedicated and hard-working driver, and we are confident that, by working together, we can put ourselves in a position to be competitive and deliver consistently strong performances throughout the 2027 season
Wharton thanked Trident for the chance to progress after his difficult year in FIA F3.
“To be able to return to Trident after racing with them in 2025 is something really special. We worked very well together and they are a very prestigious team that has done a great job over the last few seasons.
“I’m looking forward to joining the team and continuing to work hard with them over the winter, so that we can arrive in 2027 in the best possible shape. A huge thank you to Giacomo and Maurizio [Salvadori] for giving me the opportunity to drive their car and be part of their team.
“I can’t thank Trident enough, and I’m really looking forward to starting this new chapter of my career,” he said.