Williams Driver Academy member Kean Nakamura-Berta will step up to F3 with Trident Motorsport in 2027 after completing a successful rookie campaign in FREC.
The 18-year-old moves into the next stage of the junior single-seater ladder after finishing third in the 2026 FREC Drivers’ Championship. Nakamura-Berta claimed three victories and eight podiums during the campaign, adding another strong season to a résumé that already includes titles in Italian F4, the E4 Championship and Formula Regional Middle East Trophy.
Nakamura-Berta will remain part of the Williams Driver Academy throughout his rookie F3 season. His move also continues a recent pathway from FREC to Trident, with 2025 F3 champion Rafael Câmara and 2026 championship runner-up Freddie Slater both joining the Italian team after successful campaigns in the regional category.
Nakamura-Berta welcomes next step with Trident
Nakamura-Berta enters F3 after only three full seasons in single-seater competition, having made his car-racing debut during the closing stages of 2023. His rapid progression has taken him through F4 and Formula Regional competition before securing a place with one of F3’s established front-running teams.
The Williams Academy driver believes his FREC season has prepared him for the step while the continued support of the Formula 1 team gives him additional confidence ahead of his rookie campaign.
“I’m pleased to be stepping up to F3 with Trident Motorsport, while still having the ongoing support of the Williams F1 Team Driver Academy. Completing a strong season in FREC and having the opportunity to join such a competitive team in F3 gives me great confidence as I look ahead to my F3 debut next year. A big thank you to everyone involved who helped get me here.”
The move places Nakamura-Berta into a championship where qualifying execution, tyre management and racecraft become increasingly important as drivers compete on much larger grids and across several Formula 1 venues.
FREC campaign prepares Nakamura-Berta for F3
Nakamura-Berta made the move into Formula Regional competition during 2026 after dominating at F4 level the previous year. He began the season by winning the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy before contesting the full FREC campaign.
He finished third overall in FREC after taking three victories and eight podium finishes. The campaign exposed him to faster machinery and a more competitive field while also giving him experience across several European circuits that feature prominently on the junior single-seater ladder.
That progression followed an exceptional 2025 season in which Nakamura-Berta won both the Italian F4 Championship and E4 Championship. He claimed nine victories and 17 podiums during his Italian F4 title run while missing the podium only three times across the campaign, then added four victories and eight podiums on his way to the E4 crown.
His results have consequently allowed him to move rapidly through the categories without spending multiple seasons at the same level.
Williams continues backing Nakamura-Berta
Williams brought Nakamura-Berta into its Driver Academy during 2026 and will continue supporting him as he makes the transition into F3.
The programme works with drivers across different stages of the junior ladder and provides guidance as they progress towards higher levels of competition. Nakamura-Berta’s move means Williams will now follow his development through one of the final major steps before F2.
Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets highlighted the progress Nakamura-Berta has made since entering the Academy and sees the Trident opportunity as the result of both his 2026 campaign and earlier success.
“It’s a proud moment to see Kean step up to F3 with Trident Motorsport for his rookie season. He has made impressive progress since joining the Academy this year, and this opportunity is a culmination of the hard work and dedication he’s shown across a long and hard-fought title campaign, backed by an already outstanding record. This is a great moment for the Driver Academy, and a fitting reflection of the opportunities it creates for the next generation of talented drivers.”
The continued Williams relationship gives Nakamura-Berta stability as he enters a category where strong rookie performances can quickly increase opportunities further up the ladder.
Nakamura-Berta built strong record before Formula Regional
Nakamura-Berta’s rise began long before his move into Formula Regional. The London-born driver, who is half-Japanese and half-Slovakian, started karting at seven and quickly established himself internationally.
He won the OK-Junior world title in 2021 before adding the OK European title the following year. Those results helped establish him among the leading drivers of his generation before he moved into single-seaters late in 2023.
Nakamura-Berta made his F4 debut during the final two rounds of the F4 South East Asia Championship. Despite contesting only six races, he secured two pole positions and a podium before finishing sixth in the standings.
His first full single-seater season followed in the 2024 Formula 4 UAE Championship. Nakamura-Berta finished runner-up after taking two victories and seven podiums, laying the foundations for his major breakthrough the following year.
2025 breakthrough accelerates Nakamura-Berta’s rise
The 2025 season transformed Nakamura-Berta from a promising F4 driver into one of the leading prospects on the European junior ladder.
He captured the Italian F4 title with nine race victories and 17 podium finishes while producing a level of consistency that kept him near the front throughout the campaign. He also secured the E4 Championship, taking another four wins and eight podiums.
Those achievements gave Nakamura-Berta two championships in the same year and positioned him for an immediate move into Formula Regional machinery for 2026 rather than another F4 campaign.
He continued that winning momentum by claiming the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy before moving into FREC, where his three victories and third place in the championship confirmed his ability to adapt quickly to a faster car.
Trident sees Nakamura-Berta as strong fit for 2027
Trident had followed Nakamura-Berta before confirming him for its 2027 F3 line-up and believes his progression demonstrates that he is ready for the next step.
The Italian team has developed a strong record with drivers moving from Formula Regional competition into F3. Câmara joined Trident after his own successful FREC career and won the 2025 F3 title, while Slater fought for the 2026 championship during his rookie campaign before finishing runner-up.
Nakamura-Berta now follows that route as Trident looks to maintain its position near the front of the championship.
“We are extremely pleased to announce the arrival of Kean Nakamura-Berta at Trident Motorsport for the 2027 FIA Formula 3 Championship season. Kean is a driver we have known and followed for some time, and he has demonstrated he has all the qualities needed to take this important step. His journey, from karting to Formula Regional, has been marked by constant growth and impressive results. It will be a pleasure to begin this collaboration and work together to best prepare for such an important campaign. We are convinced that Trident represents the ideal environment to allow Kean to continue his growth and express his full potential in the FIA Formula 3 series.”
Team Manager Giacomo Ricci’s comments underline the importance Trident places on Nakamura-Berta’s progression rather than focusing only on his most recent results. The team will now use the off-season to prepare him for the greater demands of F3.
Trident move continues established FREC pathway
The decision also places Nakamura-Berta alongside two recent examples of drivers who successfully converted strong Formula Regional campaigns into immediate F3 competitiveness with Trident.
Câmara progressed through FREC before joining Trident and ultimately claimed the 2025 F3 championship. Slater followed a similar route and challenged for the 2026 title throughout his rookie season, eventually finishing second after the championship battle went down to the final round.
Those precedents do not guarantee Nakamura-Berta the same results, but they give him an experienced team that has repeatedly helped drivers adapt quickly to F3.
The step will also mark another significant increase in competition. Nakamura-Berta will face drivers with previous F3 experience alongside fellow rookies arriving from Formula Regional and other junior championships, making consistency across qualifying, Sprint Races and Feature Races central to his first season.
2027 F3 debut marks latest step towards higher categories
Nakamura-Berta enters 2027 with a record that has developed quickly since his first F4 appearance less than four years earlier. Titles in Italian F4, E4 and Formula Regional Middle East, combined with third in FREC, have allowed him to progress through the junior ladder without interruption.
His Trident move now provides an opportunity to test that progression at F3 level while retaining the backing of Williams. The combination gives him both an established race-winning team and continued support from an F1 driver development programme.
For Nakamura-Berta, 2027 therefore represents more than another category change. It will provide his first opportunity to compete directly on the Formula 1 support bill and establish where he stands against many of the leading young drivers aiming to progress towards F2 and, eventually, Formula 1.
