Taito Kato has reflected on the highs and lows of his rookie 2026 FIA Formula 3 (F3) campaign, with the ART Grand Prix driver taking confidence from how quickly he has adapted to the championship despite mixed results.
The Japanese driver enjoyed a dream start to the season, finishing third in the Melbourne Feature Race. However, he has been unable to return to the podium since, scoring points on six occasions across the following six rounds. Heading into the summer break, Kato sits 12th in the Drivers’ Standings on 45 points.
Despite the inconsistent results, Kato believes his biggest achievement has been adapting to Formula 3’s unique format and learning new circuits with limited track time.
“I think I have been able to adjust quite well to Formula 3,” he said. “There’s obviously not so much track time in Formula 3. In FRECA, there was much more on track time. We had two FPs and then two qualifyings.
“But Formula 3 is always 40 minutes Practice, and then one qualifying. So, it’s the biggest difference, but even with not so much on track time, I have adjusted quite well. On the track I have been driving for the first time in places like Melbourne, Monaco, and Silverstone.
“I’m not so experienced myself, but I have adjusted quite well myself. So I think that is my strongest point.”
Impressive performance in his FIA F3 rookie season
While Kato has shown impressive adaptability, he has also built a reputation for producing bold overtaking moves throughout the 2026 F3 season. However, the rookie admitted wheel-to-wheel battles are something he would rather avoid.
“I think during the race, the battles, the wheel-to-wheel I’m really strong,” he said. “I am able to make big moves, so that is my strong point.
“But to be honest, I don’t like battles so much. I want to win from first position and drive alone. But it is how it is, that’s racing. It’s impossible to do P1 to P1 everytime in Formula 3, it’s always difficult.
“Anyway I think I’m quite happy with the performance this season. Just a bit too unlucky and too many mistakes, from my side and the team side as well. So if we can put it all together, for sure, the results are there.
“But it’s always really difficult to put it all together in this category. Formula 3 is always really tight, it’s a really high-level competition. So if you make one mistake, that means you’ve lost 10, 20 positions. So it’s really difficult.”
Looking ahead to the final 2 rounds of the 2026 F3 season
With two rounds remaining, Kato and ART Grand Prix have already begun preparing for the final stretch of the season. The team has spent time in the simulator working on both setup changes and Madrid’s brand-new circuit, leaving the Japanese driver optimistic about ending his rookie campaign on a high.
“We have made a lot of effort with the simulator,” he said. “We tried some changes to the setup for Spa, and also, we have already done some work for Madrid in the simulator.
“It is a new track, so we have some data, which is quite good. We are doing a lot of preparation for the race weekend, and we have had a lot of meetings. I think everything was correct. Everything was really great. The preparation is almost perfect.
“We need a bit more preparation during the race weekend just to make sure we are ready to fight for the race weekend. We want to fight for the podium and also hopefully get some wins. But for sure, my target is a consistent result in qualifying.
“I want to make sure we are inside the top 12. If you are inside the top 12, you have some good opportunities in both races. So make sure you are consistent in the qualifying and then you can fight for the podium and for the victory. That is my goal for this season.”
