ART Grand Prix’s Taito Kato heads into the fourth round of the 2026 F3 season at Spielberg with confidence after a strong showing during in-season testing last month, where he had set the fastest time of a 1:20.297. Fresh off a P9 finish in the Barcelona Feature Race, Kato looks to build momentum in Spielberg after a run of unfortunate results in recent rounds.
Speaking in a virtual media session attended by Pit Debrief, Kato reflected on his season so far, highlighting several misfortunes from the previous round in Barcelona. However, he acknowledged their strong potential and strengths but noted that this weekend could present another unknown challenge due to the conditions.
“I think, obviously, we have a really good pace and we have good potential as well, I think we are doing pretty well so far, especially in the qualifying laps.”, Kato said. “I think we had some big unluck in the last two rounds. We had a bit of a crash or I couldn’t start in the start or something. But I knew we had pace, so I think that is the most important thing.”
“So, I think we have confidence for the future as well. Yeah, let’s see how it goes this weekend. This weekend will be really hot, so I think another story is coming. So, yeah, let’s see how it goes.”
Mindful of tyre degradation in the heat
When asked by Pit Debrief how representative the in-season test will be for this weekend, Kato noted that conditions have changed significantly since then, adding that the heat will be a key factor drivers must manage to avoid overheating their tyres. Nonetheless, the 18 year-old said that they head into the weekend with confidence, believing they have the pace to deliver strong results.
“I was going to say it’s a much different temperature on track, much more hotter this weekend. So, it’s going to be more difficult to manage with the tyres so it’s much more [of an] issue in overheating the rears. So, I think we have to take care about that.”
He added: “But I think we know pace is there for this weekend. So, we have confidence for this weekend.”
Kato carries confidence from strong in-season testing into Spielberg round
Having topped the in-season test at Spielberg last month, the Japanese driver said: “I think, for sure, car was really good in testing. So, we have a good confidence for this weekend. But, for sure, on the track, it’s much more different.”
“For example, like temperature is much more like 20 degrees different, I guess. So, waiting for another story for this weekend. I’m really looking forward to how it evolves in the rest of the weekend. But still, I don’t know how it goes with the tyre degradation for like overheating the tyres.”
“So, I think let’s see how it goes. But we have good confidence with the car. I think performance is really good so far. So, I think it’s going to be a good weekend.”
Kato started the season strongly with a P5 and P3 finish in Melbourne, but has since endured a run of difficult results, only returning to the points in Barcelona. Hoping to rebuild momentum and showcase his true potential, he currently sits 9th in the Drivers’ Standings with 18 points.
