Taito Kato finishes P5 in his first FIA Formula 3 Sprint Race
Albert Park CircuitOn Saturday, March 7, the Sprint Race of the FIA Formula 3 season opener in Melbourne, Australia was held at Albert Park Circuit, where Taito Kato finished P5 to score his first point.
Overview of FIA Formula 3
FIA Formula 3 is a development category for young drivers and the official step on the “Road to F1.”
Two races are held each weekend, with a reverse grid applied to the Saturday Sprint Race, making strategy across the weekend important for maximizing points.
For the Sprint Race, the top 5 classified drivers will be awarded 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively.
For the Feature Race, the top 10 finishers will score 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points respectively.
As an F1 support series, FIA F3 races at many of the world’s most renowned circuits, giving young drivers an important stage to showcase their talent in front of F1 teams. In 2025, the new “Dallara F3 2025” car and advanced sustainable fuel were introduced, incorporating technologies aimed at the future of motorsport.
A total of 30 drivers from 20 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas competed in this opening round of the 2026 season.
Season Opener at Albert Park Circuit
Albert Park Circuit is known as the venue of the Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The temporary track is located within a public park and is formed by public roads and sections of parking areas around an artificial lake. Because it is not a permanent circuit, the surface is often dusty, and the stop-and-go layout with low-banked corners makes it a demanding track that tests driver skill.
Sprint Race: Started P6 → Finished P5
The Sprint Race, featuring a reverse grid for the top 12 qualifiers, began at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 7 in dry conditions with an air temperature of 20°C and a track temperature of 32°C.
Kato started from P6 and briefly dropped a position after a rival dived to the inside at Turn 1; however, he chose a cross-line at the exit to regain acceleration. At Turn 2 he seized an overtaking opportunity, passing two cars around the outside to move up to P5.
While continuing to run consistent laps, an incident occurred further back on lap eight when two cars crashed into the barriers. The Safety Car was deployed and the race was then red-flagged. Barrier repairs took time, and the race was not restarted. Kato finished in P5, scoring a valuable point in his FIA Formula 3 debut race.
I finished my first ever race in Formula 3 in P5. Overall, it was a pretty good race. The car was quick and I was able to manage things well, but unfortunately, we only did eight laps because of the red flag. Still, the pace was there, and I felt I managed the tyre degradation well, which gives us good confidence for tomorrow. I will start from P7, so we can still fight for the podium. We will keep pushing and see how it goes.
I finished my first ever race in Formula 3 in P5. Overall, it was a pretty good race. The car was quick and I was able to manage things well, but unfortunately, we only did eight laps because of the red flag. Still, the pace was there, and I felt I managed the tyre degradation well, which gives us good confidence for tomorrow. I will start from P7, so we can still fight for the podium. We will keep pushing and see how it goes.
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