Photo: Hitech
Hitech is the first team to announce its full line-up for the 2027 FIA Formula 3 championship with rookie Keanu Al Azhari and sophomore Kanato Le joining the returning Michael Shin. All three are well-known to Hitech, having progressed through the ranks with the team.
The announcement means that its remaining two 2026 driver, Jin Nakamura and Fionn McLaughlin, will need to find berths at other teams if they are to remain on the F3 grid for 2027.
After two years in Formula 4, in which he finished runner-up in the Spanish F4 championship, Al Azhari joined Hitech’s GB3 team in 2025, claiming a race victory, six podiums and three pole positions in placing sixth in the championship.
For this season he stayed with the British team for the move to Eurocup-3, starting the year off by winning the Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship title. In Eurocup-3, the Emirati driver currently sits third in the standings with one race win.
Al Azhari, a member of the Alpine Academy since March 2025, emphasized his pride at representing his nation on the F1 support programme.
“I am proud and honoured to continue my journey with my family at Hitech as we step up together into the 2027 FIA Formula 3 Championship. To become the first driver from the UAE to compete in FIA F3 is a milestone I carry with immense pride.
“Representing my nation at this level is the greatest honour, and I’m humbled by the support of the UAE behind me. I hope this journey inspires the next generation of drivers across our region to dream without limits.”
Paul Bellringer, Hitech’s F3 team manager added that “we’ve worked closely with [Keanu] over the last two seasons and have seen first-hand how much he has developed in that time.”
While Kanato Le moves to Hitech from ART Grand Prix for his second season his F3, he and the team have a long history of working together. Le finished seventh in the 2023 British F4 championship with two wins before rejoining the team for the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy. He drove for the team again in the penultimate round of this year’s GB3 championship
The Japanese driver finished 20th in the championship with a podium in the Budapest sprint race his best result although he also qualified on the front row at Monza, finishing fifth in the feature race.
Le commented that Hitech is “a team I know very well after racing with them in British F4 and FROT, and I am excited to be part of the team again. I am confident that we will have a strong season together.”
For Hitech’s Bellringer “Kanato is a driver we know very well, having worked with him at different stages of his career. He’s always had good natural speed and racecraft, and it’s been rewarding to see him gain experience and develop over the last few seasons.
“His first year in FIA F3 has given him a much better understanding of the demands of the championship, and he showed what he is capable of with his podium in Hungary and strong qualifying performance at Monza.
The team’s line-up will be completed by Michael Shin, returning to the team where he failed to score a point in 2026, with a best result of 18th in the Monaco sprint race. Shin explained that he felt that “there are particular aspects to FIA F3 that make it very competitive and challenging. I felt that there would be more to come from me by staying another year and further working on those areas in a familiar environment.”
Overall, Bellringer believes that the trio provide a “good combination of talent and experience, and we’re looking forward to getting to work with all three drivers as we prepare for next season.”