Round nine of the Formula Regional European Championship was held at Hockenheim, Germany, as the penultimate race weekend of the season.

The 4.5km Hockenheim Ring track presented dry and wet conditions over the weekend, in that order. The event started with a dry track, and Taito Kato quickly slotted into his rhythm. The Honda Formula Dream Project and ART Grand Prix driver started seventh fastest in the first Collective Test and eighth in the second Collective Test, closing the gap to just 0.505seconds from the head of the field.

In Qualifying, Kato made yet more progress, finishing Qualifying 1 second fastest in Group A, before going fifth fastest in Qualifying 2, but closer to the front than he had been all weekend, just 0.492s off.

Both races were then declared wet after early rain dampened the track, albeit both races were still held on slicks. The going was more treacherous therefore, as offline was very greasy.

Kato came home a fighting ninth in the opening race of the weekend, tenths of a second behind eighth in battle which went to the flag, and less than two seconds from seventh.

On Sunday’s race two, Kato came out fighting once again amid equally damp and greasy conditions. In the thick of the action from the off, having started from third on the grid, Kato put in a stellar performance, setting the fourth fastest lap of the race.

Kato took the flag just 3.6seconds from the win and barely two seconds from the podium, crossing the line in fifth place. Unfortunately, post-race he was given a one-position drop penalty for being deemed to have left the track and gained an unfair advantage over car #27, which ultimately finished fourth. This demoted Kato to sixth overall.

The final round of the Formula Regional European Championship will take place at Monza, Italy, on 25-26 October.

© ACI Sport