James Wharton returns to Italian F4 podium in Misano

James Wharton has claimed his second podium of the Italian Formula 4 season while Andrea Kimi Antonelli is on a hat-trick in Misano.

James Wharton in Misano ahead of the Italian Formula 4 weekend. (PREMA Racing)

Charlie Wurz got the jump on polesitter Antonelli at the start, leading a spectacular train of five PREMA Racing cars around the opening lap.

Antonelli made the decisive pass for the lead just a lap later, down the inside of the double-apex corner before pulling away a mighty lead on the chasing pack.

Wurz lead a pack of three PREMA cars contesting the final podium positions, and Conrad Laursen was picked off from the end of the PRMA train by French driver Marcus Amand.

Antonelli sped away to the chequered flag with the order unchanged as Wurz and Wharton completed the podium.

For Wurz it was the first podium of the season, while Aussie Wharton claimed his second third-place finish to consolidate his third-place standing in the championship standings.

Antonelli had previously dominated the opening race at Misano on Saturday, and will start on pole for the final race at 1.40am Monday morning (AEST).

Wharton had also run in third for most of the opener in a similar train of PREMA drivers before a late-race shake-up saw him fall to fifth.

Brazilian Rafael Câmara moves to the lead of the championship standings after finishing fourth as previous leader Alex Dunne failed to finish.

Fellow Aussie Marcos Flack is twenty-second in the standings after his best finish of the season in fourteenth.