The 2026 FIA Formula 3 season resumed at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy after a summer break of around one month, with the Round 8 Sprint Race taking place on 5 September.

As the top 12 from Qualifying are reversed for the Sprint Race, Taito Kato, who had qualified P4, started from P9 on the grid. He gained one position at the second chicane on the opening lap. On Lap 4, two cars ahead made contact while battling. Kato made his way through the incident and overtook a rival at the chicane to move up to P5. While fighting for P4, the Safety Car (SC) was deployed. The driver in P4 pitted under the SC, promoting Kato to P4 for the restart.

When racing resumed on Lap 7, Kato seized the opportunity and made an overtake into Turn 1 to move up to P3. A car stopped further back on track, bringing out the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) on Lap 8, but it was withdrawn by the end of the same lap. Kato then completed another overtake at the final corner on Lap 9 to take P2. On the following main straight, the race leader began emitting smoke and dropped out of contention. However, the car behind Kato used his tow, and Kato crossed Turn 1 on Lap 10 in P2 before being passed by another car approaching the second chicane and dropping to P3. Meanwhile, contact between cars behind at Turn 1 brought out the SC once again.

The race restarted on Lap 14. Kato came under attack from the P4 car at Turn 1 but held the position, before the leading four engaged in an intense battle for victory over the final five laps. With the fight remaining close, Kato broke clear at the final corner on Lap 15 to take the lead. He held on for the remaining three laps to take the chequered flag and secure his first FIA Formula 3 victory.

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