Taito Kato returned to form in emphatic fashion at Monza, taking his maiden FIA F3 victory in the Sprint Race before following it with third place in Sunday’s Feature Race.
The ART Grand Prix driver had endured several difficult rounds in which outright pace proved harder to find, but the Italian weekend delivered a significant turnaround. Starting ninth in the Sprint, Kato worked his way through the field to victory before adding another podium despite admitting that the Feature Race proved considerably more difficult.
The results moved Kato into sixth in the Drivers’ Championship and gave both driver and team renewed confidence before the final round in Madrid, where the Japanese driver expects another opportunity to fight near the front.
Kato celebrates breakthrough 2026 F3 Monza weekend
Kato admitted that the Monza results carried extra significance after a frustrating spell for both himself and ART Grand Prix. The team had struggled to reproduce its earlier pace during recent rounds, making the double podium particularly rewarding.
“I feel amazing, it’s just incredible. Obviously last couple rounds we were missing pace, the pure pace was just missing,” he said to Formula 3. “It was quite a bit frustrating for me and the team as well. So, this means a lot to be honest. Yesterday was an amazing race for me. Start from P9 to victory. I knew there would be a lot of opportunity in Monza.
“But for sure I had everything under control and then finally getting the win and my first ever in the Formula 3, feels amazing.
“Then back-to-back podiums as well is amazing. Today was more tough for me. The pace was missing I would say. But I still managed a podium, so still happy with the result overall. It was one of the most difficult races.”
The contrast between the two races underlined the strength of Kato’s weekend. He converted opportunity and racecraft into victory on Saturday, then limited the damage on Sunday when he felt ART lacked the same outright pace.
Rather than allowing the more difficult Feature Race to undo Saturday’s progress, Kato still extracted a podium and completed one of his strongest weekends of the season.
Kato stays calm through chaotic 2026 F3 Monza racing
Monza’s slipstream effect and three DRS zones produced constant position changes across both races, with drivers frequently running two or three abreast along the straights.
Kato found himself moving between several positions within only a handful of corners, but he felt that maintaining composure allowed him to remain in contention while others became caught up in the chaos.
“It was a bit more chaotic in the race. I was driving in P2 but then a few corners later I would be P4 or P5. Every time on the straight, three-wide on the track, it was a crazy race. But really fun to drive in the car, really enjoyable in the race.
“I was trying to keep everything under control myself. I was able to stay calm for the race and for the weekend as well. There’s a lot of positive things in the race weekend, so let’s keep going for next round as well.”
That calm approach proved particularly valuable in a weekend where track position changed repeatedly. Kato avoided unnecessary mistakes and remained within the leading group long enough to capitalise when opportunities emerged.
The Japanese driver also took confidence from enjoying the racing itself. Despite the unpredictability, he relished the close battles and left Monza with more positives than he had taken from several previous rounds combined.
Kato keeps championship out of focus after 2026 F3 Monza
The double podium lifted Kato to sixth in the Drivers’ standings, but he does not intend to alter his approach because of his championship position.
Instead, Kato wants to keep his focus narrow and judge each race on its own merits rather than allowing the overall standings to influence how he approaches the final weekend.
“I didn’t focus too much on the championship. I just want to focus on the one race, and take it race-by-race. Each race I will just focus on my performance then let’s see at end of the season. Hopefully we can end with a smile on my face.”
That mindset mirrors the approach that helped him manage the unpredictable races at Monza. By concentrating on his own execution rather than the championship picture, Kato hopes to maximise what remains available during the final round.
With the season entering its closing stages, his Monza performance also gives ART Grand Prix a stronger platform from which to attack the finale.
Kato takes 2026 F3 Monza momentum into Madrid
Kato believes Madrid could provide another chance to compete near the front, particularly after ART showed encouraging speed during pre-event testing at the circuit.
The new venue will present a very different challenge from Monza, but the team’s previous running gives Kato confidence that its package can remain competitive.
“I think we have good confidence in Madrid because we were quite quick in the Madrid test, so I think there will be a good opportunity to fight at the front.”
After several rounds where the desired pace remained elusive, Monza provided Kato with both a result and a reset. His first F3 win removed one major milestone, while the Feature Race podium showed he could still secure a strong result even when the car did not feel at its best.
Kato therefore heads to Madrid aiming to preserve the composure that carried him through Monza’s chaotic racing and finish his 2026 campaign with another front-running performance.
