Taito Kato returns in FRME Round 2, finishes...

Race 3

FRME 2026

Round 2

Monday, 26th January 2026

Taito Kato returns in FRME Round 2, finishes P8 in Race 3

Yas Marina Circuit

The second round of the 2026 Formula Regional Middle East Trophy (FRME) was held at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi from January 23 to 25. Competing with ART Grand Prix, 18-year-old Taito Kato showed steady progress throughout the weekend, finishing P14 in Race 1, P12 in Race 2, and a best result of P8 in Race 3.

Taito Kato returns in FRME Round 2, finishes P8 in Race 3

Taito Kato Profile

Hailing from Mie Prefecture, Taito Kato earned a scholarship in the Honda Racing School Suzuka (HRS) Formula Class in 2023 and joined the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP). After claiming the French F4 championship in 2024, he recorded a race win in his rookie Formula Regional Middle East Championship season in 2025 and finished seventh overall in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. The FRME serves as an important preparatory step toward his planned FIA Formula 3 campaign in 2026.

Venue: Home of the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

FRME Round 2 was again held at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, the venue of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 5.281 km circuit features two long straights and a combination of technical sections and high-speed corners, requiring strong all-round performance from the drivers.

Qualifying

Following a major accident in Race 2 of the opening round that forced him to miss Race 3, Kato returned for Round 2 after the team completed repairs in a short timeframe. In Qualifying 1, he set the P16 time, 0.957 seconds off the fastest of the 31-car field. He improved to P9 in Qualifying 2, securing a strong starting position for Race 3.

Race 1: Started P16 → Finished P14

Kato navigated early chaos to gain positions and remained in close-fought midfield battles. A late red flag led to a short restart and a four-car fight for P14. He finished P15 on track but was classified P14 following a post-race disqualification for another driver.

Race 2: Started P14 → Finished P11

The race began under safety car conditions due to wet patches on the circuit. Despite briefly losing positions after the restart, Kato recovered to P12 by avoiding incidents. A late safety car period followed, and a post-race penalty for another driver promoted him to P11.

Race 3: Started P9 → Finished P8

Kato made a strong start from P9 and moved up to P8 through Turn 1. Despite two safety car periods, he remained in contention for P6 at the restarts and continued to keep pressure on the leading group, finishing P8 for his best result of the weekend.

Returning from a major accident, Kato showed steady improvement and resilience throughout Round 2. As he builds toward FIA Formula 3 in 2026, further progress is expected in the coming rounds.