Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
ART Grand Prix has announced Taito Kato will join its FIA Formula 3 Championship squad for 2026, completing its line-up.
The single-seater sophomore was French Formula 4 champion last year as a Honda junior, winning five races, making the podium in seven others and claiming four podiums.
He then stepped up to Formula Regional this year with ART GP, starting off with the Middle East championship where he was 12th in the standings with one podium. In the European championship he made the podium twice and was seventh in the points table, and this weekend he will contest the FIA World Cup-awarding Macau Grand Prix.
“I’m genuinely excited about the new challenges awaiting us next year,” said Kato. “I’m really thrilled to be driving for ART GP in F3 next year and to be driving with the same team as I did in FREC.”
The 17-year-old’s team-mates will be fellow Japanese driver and his FRegional team-mate Kanato Le, and Eurocup-3 race-winner Maciej Gladysz.
“Taito integrated perfectly into the team this season in FREC,” said ART GP’s team principal Sebastien Philippe.
“He showed strong adaptability, great discipline, and a lot of potential that is just waiting to be fully expressed at the highest level. Moving up to FIA F3 is the natural next step in our collaboration. He’s still young, but he has already demonstrated real maturity in his driving and a clear desire to improve with every session. We’re excited to continue this journey together.”
Kato was fastest in one of FIA F3’s post-season test sessions at Barcelona.