James Wharton reveals split lung after 'avoidable' F3 teammate crash in Melbourne

James Wharton has revealed he suffered a split lung—medically termed a pneumothorax—after his collision with Prema teammate Louis Sharp during the F3 sprint race in Melbourne. The Australian driver described the crash as “so avoidable” for both parties, calling it an incident that “can’t happen again.”### Why it matters:The crash sidelined Wharton from training for over three weeks and prevented him from flying until cleared by medical staff. Teammate collisions in feeder series carry significant risks and reputational damage, especially for a driver like Wharton who is no longer part of the Ferrari Driver Academy but still aiming for an F1 future.### The Details:* Wharton said the impact came when the pair went side-by-side into Turn 5. The race was red-flagged immediately and not resumed due to damaged tyre barriers.* Injury: A pneumothorax, or split lung, occurred because Wharton braced and held his breath upon impact, causing his lungs to hit his chest cavities.* Aftermath: He could not train for 3.5 weeks and described the period as “one of the most boring three weeks I’ve had.”* Positives: Wharton noted that he and Sharp were “four tenths quicker than the leaders” at the time, a performance takeaway.* Relationship: The two drivers have spoken and there is “no bad blood,” but Wharton stressed the importance of avoiding such incidents in the future.### What’s Next:Wharton confirmed he is now “back to my healthy self” and working to regain his fitness before the F3 season resumes in Monaco on the first weekend of June. He reflected positively on the Australian Grand Prix experience, praising local fans' knowledge of junior formulas, which made the drivers “feel like Formula 1 drivers.”