Taito Kato claims first FRECA podium with third-place finish
SpaHFDP driver Taito Kato claimed his first podium in the series with a third-place finish in Race 2 at Spa-Francorchamps
The second round of the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) was held at Spa-Francorchamps from May 16–18.
Despite a challenging start - finishing P16 and P18 in the two practice sessions due to grip issues and a red flag - Kato bounced back strongly. With qualifying for Race 1 cancelled, he started from P16 and fought his way up to 10th, earning one point.
Sunday’s qualifying took place in mixed “Spa weather” conditions, where Kato set the seventh-fastest time overall. In the race, he made steady progress, gaining spots and capitalising on incidents ahead. On the final lap, he made a decisive move to take P3, securing his first FRECA podium.
Kato now sits sixth in the standings with 16 points added. Round 3 takes place at Zandvoort, June 6–8.
"My goals this weekend were to finish in the top five and improve my qualifying pace. It was a tough start in free practice with P16 and P17, but I’m really happy that, together with the team, we were able to improve the car and reach the podium in Race 2. I focused on giving clear feedback and adjusting the setup session by session, which helped us make steady progress throughout the weekend. The biggest achievement, I feel, was the teamwork—we worked closely to build a competitive car."I’ll keep preparing thoroughly and use what I’ve learned to challenge for wins in the upcoming rounds. Thank you as always for your support.”
"My goals this weekend were to finish in the top five and improve my qualifying pace. It was a tough start in free practice with P16 and P17, but I’m really happy that, together with the team, we were able to improve the car and reach the podium in Race 2. I focused on giving clear feedback and adjusting the setup session by session, which helped us make steady progress throughout the weekend. The biggest achievement, I feel, was the teamwork—we worked closely to build a competitive car."I’ll keep preparing thoroughly and use what I’ve learned to challenge for wins in the upcoming rounds. Thank you as always for your support.”
Ⓒ ACI Sport