As we anticipate the upcoming seasons, teams and drivers are hard at work preparing to fight for wins. Legendary team PREMA Racing won’t be procrastinating as they aim to be back on top.
Founded in 1983 by Angelo Rosin and Giorgio Piccolo, the team brings over 40 years of experience to the grid. PREMA Racing has been a fixture in the FIA F1 ladder for many years, and have seen success in a range of series.
Despite a disappointing 2025 campaign across Formula 2 and Formula 3, the Italian team saw plenty of success in the lower series last year. Winning four championships, they’ll be hoping to return to the top step across everything in 2026. As focus turns to the upcoming F2 and F3 seasons, PREMA are only retaining one driver. Four of the five will be new to the team as they look to improve on their recent form.
A Champion, A Rookie, and A Returning Face in Formula 3
PREMA’s Formula 3 line-up in 2025 consisted of Noel León, Brando Badoer, and Ugo Ugochukwu. Coming from a championship-winning 2024, last year was a struggle for the Italian team, finishing seventh in the team’s championship. The trio managed four podiums throughout the season, but often found themselves towards the back of the grid.
In 2026, the team sees an all-new driver lineup. The former champion, promising rookie, and returning face will aim to help PREMA get back to the top and fight for wins again.
Louis Sharp
“I’m very, very happy and excited for next season. I’m really looking forward to having a strong season with them; I’m really proud to be here.”
18-year-old Louis Sharp joins the Italian team for his second Formula 3 campaign, switching from Rodin Motorsport. The British-born New Zealander has shown potential throughout his career. His single-seater racing debut came in 2020. Moving across the ocean, Sharp joined the F4 British Championship in 2022 with Carlin. Following this, he achieved a trio of championships before jumping up to Formula 3 in 2025.
Despite finishing 26th, he showed signs of potential as he learnt the new machinery. Former Team Principal Rene Rosin shared that Sharp is a “really promising racer … he has the potential to achieve impressive results.”
José Garfias
“It’s a big step in the right direction for my career. Very thankful for everyone who is making this possible, and grateful to PREMA for giving me the opportunity to prove myself.”
José Garfias is the promising rookie joining PREMA in 2026. The Mexican driver previously raced for AIX Racing in Barcelona last year, replacing an injured James Hedley. This year, he joins the grid as a full-time rookie. Having raced across Formula 4, FRECA, and the EuroFormula Open championships since 2018, the 21-year-old has achieved six wins and 30 podiums. He comes into the year following a fourth place overall in the EuroFormula Open championship.
“Even though he will be competing full-time in the series for the first time this year, he has a good amount of experience in Eurocup-3 and Euroformula Open, so I think he will quickly adapt himself to the new environment and get positive results.” Team manager Goffredo Pirro said upon Garfias’ signing, showing how the young driver has gained recognition for how he adapts to new series.
James Wharton
“Super excited to be back at my second home for the 2026 season. I missed Prema a lot.”
The 19-year-old Australian James Wharton stepped into the world of single-seaters in 2022. Throughout his Formula 4 and Formula Regional seasons, Wharton raced for PREMA where he won the Formula 4 UAE Championship. They continued to be together in 2024 for FRECA. That year, he also stepped into Formula 3 for a race. This quiet, yet impressive, debut caused ART Grand Prix to sign Wharton for their 2025 line-up. Throughout the year, the rookie impressed with his wet-weather ability.
In 2026, he will return to PREMA after a year’s absence. “We really enjoyed working with him since his very first steps in motorsport. We are proud of his journey, and we truly believe in his potential.” PREMA’s ex-Team Principal said upon bringing the driver back to the team.
Boya Joins and Montoya is Retained in Formula 2
2025 saw the team’s second-worst result in their F2 history—placing sixth overall. With Sebastián Montoya and Gabriele Minì as their line-up, the Italian outfit didn’t score a win for a second year in a row. Consistency troubled the team, and their drivers were either at the back of the grid or fighting for points.
For the upcoming 2026 season, Montoya is retained by PREMA, but with Minì heading to MP Motorsport, room is made for rookie Mari Boya. With the new line-up, PREMA will be hoping the team can be more consistent throughout the year.
Mari Boya
“Super excited about joining PREMAfor my rookie FIA Formula 2 season and working with the team. I feel I have a great opportunity, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things go.”
The 21-year-old Spanish driver joins PREMA for his rookie F2 campaign. After winning multiple karting titles, Boya joined the Spanish F4 Championship in 2020 and finished second overall. In 2025, he raced with Campos Racing and came third, behind Nikola Tsolov and Rafael Cȃmara. Throughout the year, Boya showcased his ability to be aggressive on track whilst remaining precise. Last year, the young Spaniard made history, becoming the first member of the Aston Martin Aramco Driver Academy.
“If we look at his career, we see a strong progression, and in addition to his speed skills, we know he is a smart and hard-working driver.” Rosin announced as he welcomed Boya upon his signing.
Sebastián Montoya
“I think the work we have done this year has been incredible, we had some ups and downs, but the biggest thing has been the learning process and how we’ve merged together.”
Montoya is the only driver being retained by PREMA in 2026. Since 2020, the young Colombian has competed in a range of feeder series and has developed a smooth, yet aggressive, racing style. Throughout his career, Montoya hasn’t stuck to single-seater racing, though, also competing in IMSA and European Le Mans.
2025 saw his debut in Formula 2, and as he continues with PREMA this year, he’ll be helping the team work towards a more promising campaign. Rosin praised Montoya for his ability to learn and, upon re-signing, said: “We are thrilled to have Sebastián with us again in 2026. We are confident in his potential, and with the pace he has shown so far this year, we look forward to seeing him compete with more experience under his belt.”
Looking Ahead: PREMA Racing in 2026
Looking towards the 2026 seasons, the Italian team will be aiming to get back to their winning ways. After a tough outing last year, PREMA have a lot to work on throughout the off-season. However, with a strong belief in their drivers, they are positive for what is to come.
In Formula 3, the team will be working on getting back into the points and helping their young drivers develop. And in Formula 2, consistency will be their main focal point. As the team look to turn their tides, it’s about fine-tuning and execution.
Explore more of our Dive Into the Grid team portraits here.