Taito Kato secured a stunning maiden Formula 3 pole position during qualifying for the Feature Race at the Madring circuit in Madrid. The Japanese driver delivered a masterclass on the tricky street circuit, showcasing a level of confidence that few others could match.
Kato arrived in Madrid riding a wave of momentum after an impressive weekend in Monza, where he claimed a podium and a victory, emerging as the highest points scorer of the event. However, his season with ART Grand Prix has been a rollercoaster. An early podium in Melbourne was followed by a struggle to consistently finish in the points until Monza. The tight, wall-lined nature of Madrid, though, played perfectly into Kato’s hands.
“I’m feeling amazing,” Kato told media, including Motorsport Week. “My first-ever pole position in Formula 3. It was an amazing weekend in Monza and then back-to-back this weekend in Madrid. I think we have a good mindset, and the car was incredible during qualifying and really fun to drive here in Madrid. Really close to the wall. I was pushed to the edge, you know. Sometimes I kissed the wall. Yeah, that was really good. Finally got pole position. I’m happy with it.”
The qualifying session was fiercely competitive. Even Kato’s earliest laps would have been good enough for a top-three start. When asked what made the difference at Madring, he pointed to his experience at the Macau street circuit last year. “I love the street circuit. I was driving in Macau last year, and the pace was very strong in Macau. That was the most popular street circuit, I would say. That helped me a lot with motoring. The motoring is really, really incredible to drive in the car.”
Beyond the result, Kato emphasised the enjoyment factor. “Just fun to drive every lap, I would say. The cornering lap was a really good lap, to be honest. But it’s not enough to put pressure on Q2, so just congrats to the two cars. Every time, it was enjoyable to drive the car,” he added with a smile.
This pole position is a crucial boost for Kato ahead of the Feature Race. On a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, starting from the front is half the battle. Kato now has a golden opportunity to convert pole into victory and prove that his Monza form was no fluke. The championship battle in F3 is heating up, and Kato’s growing consistency could make him a dark horse in the title race.
Meanwhile, rivals like Theophile Nael, who dominated the Sprint Race the day before, will have to start behind Kato. All eyes will be on whether Kato can hold his nerve and seal a maiden F3 win, or if someone else will steal the spotlight in Madrid.
Baca Juga
Taito Kato raih pole position perdana di Formula 3 pada kualifikasi Feature Race Madrid. Pembalap ART itu tampil memukau di sirkuit jalanan Madring.
Lewis Hamilton dituduh menghalangi lawan saat latihan bebas GP Spanyol. Sainz, Tsunoda, dan Hulkenberg protes, Ralf Schumacher pun ikut mengkritik.
Theophile Nael memenangi Sprint Race F3 Madrid 2026. Ugo Ugochukwu finis ke-8 dan memangkas jarak dari Freddie Slater menjadi 12 poin.
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