Trident announces its driver lineup for Qatar with a surprise

Trident seems determined to keep changing its pilots. Formula 2After leading the 2025 campaign with Sami Meguetounif and Max Esterson, the Italian team announced the departure of its two drivers with immediate effect after the Monza meeting (Italy).

Their seats were awarded to Laurens Van Hoepen and Martinius Stenshorne for the Baku race, and the Norwegian showed great promise, despite retirements in both races. The protégé of McLaren He will ultimately not continue his adventure with Trident and will join Rodin in Qatar, replacing Amaury Cordeel. Stenshorne will also be a regular starter for Rodin in 2026.

At Trident, his seat is therefore entrusted to James Wharton, a young Australian, runner-up in the 2026 FRECA series. For him, it's his debut in F3 His time with ART GP was difficult (18th in the championship), and the 19-year-old driver will move to Prema in 2026 to try his luck again in the category. In the meantime, he will have had the opportunity to test himself in Formula 2 with Trident before dropping back down a level to continue his development.

“I am extremely grateful to Trident Motorsport for giving me this opportunity to race in Formula 2. It is definitely a significant step in my career; new challenges await me, starting with a more powerful car, longer races, increased tire degradation, and more pit stops.” Wharton lists them. I have a lot to learn, but I will do my best to make the most of this opportunity. Even though I won't be competing in Formula 2 next year, it's undoubtedly a great opportunity to learn, progress, and achieve a good performance.

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“We are delighted to have James Wharton on board for the next round of Formula 2, Giacomo Ricci, director of the Trident Motorsport team, is delighted. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented young drivers we have seen in FIA Formula 3 this year. James is an extremely fast and capable driver. His debut at Losail will certainly be a big challenge, but we have done intensive preparation work which I am confident will pay off.

For the moment, James Wharton is only announced for the Qatar meeting, while Laurens Van Hoepen will also compete in Abu Dhabi. This leaves one spot open for Trident in the Emirates: perhaps for Rafael Câmara, who is still not confirmed for the end of the season before his Invicta debut in 2026?