Prema Racing FIA Formula Three recruit Louis Sharp will be further honing his single-seater skills back home in New Zealand in January. The talented 18-year-old is contesting the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, including having a crack at the New Zealand Grand Prix.
“This championship is something that I’velooked up to and wanted to do for so long,” Sharp told the Herald.
“As a young kid getting into motorsport and wanting to race and get into F1, the TRS [Toyota Racing Series as it was called] was the championship to do. I’ve probably wanted to do this championship for nearly 10 or 11 years, so I’m really excited I’m finally able to do it.”
Sharp has signed with MTEC Motorsport for the four-round, 15-race series alongside Zack Scoular, Yuanpu Cui and Ryan Wood. MTEC has achieved numerous podiums and wins since joining the series and Sharp is looking to further improve his skills with the team.
“Once we decided to do the series we started talking to a few teams. A lot of my personal sponsors and supporters also have a relationship with MTEC, so the deal happened quite naturally,” he said.
“The team has a really strong lineup of drivers and they have proven to be a good team. I think with good teammates and a good team, there’s no reason why we can’t have lots of success.
“It’s going to be tough though. The rest of the grid is looking to be really competitive. It’s probably the most competitive the championship has ever been. It’s going to be good because a lot of the drivers have been racing in Europe, so it’s a good practice and a warm-up for my F3 campaign next year.”
Sharp had a character-building rookie season in Formula Three with Rodin Motorsport, showing flashes of the speed he’s developed over the previous junior formula but the consistency wasn’t there. He acquitted himself well in what is generally regarded as one of the most highly contested championships and secured a number of top 10 finishes.
“I am very much looking forward to joining Prema. They are a proven team and have won championships in F3 and F2 and have developed drivers who have gone on to race in F1.”
Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Oliver Bearman and Kimi Antonelli are the latest in a long line of the team’s former drivers.
Louis Sharp made the transition to single-seaters in 2020. Photo / Getty Images
“I can’t wait to join the team, and I’ve already been working with the engineers and with the team. We’re already starting to build a really good relationship, and I can see how much it means to them and how much of a good environment they provide. I can’t wait for next year to start,” Sharp said.
His motorsport rise has been rapid. Born in Nottingham, Britain, he grew up in Christchurch and wasted little time making a name for himself first in karting as he established himself as the country’s standout in his age group. His haul of national titles and series wins set a benchmark few have matched.
His transition to single-seaters came in 2020 with New Zealand’s Formula First Championship – a breeding ground for some of our best racers – and Sharp began winning races. A move into New Zealand Formula Ford followed, where he continued to feature at the front and led the championship before the call from Carlin Motorsport with an opportunity to race in the British Formula Four.
Despite missing the opening rounds in 2022 because of age restrictions, Sharp finished fourth overall, with two wins and 12 podiums. He also claimed the UAE Formula Four Trophy Championship in the same year.
He returned to British Formula Four in 2023 and completed the job, taking the championship title. The following year he moved up and won the GB3 Championship and headed into Formula Three in 2025.
Sharp is hoping to use the Formula Regional series to build momentum using the back-to-back, high-intensity championship as a lead-in to his Formula Three campaign.
