FRME

The Formula Regional Middle East Trophy (FRME) is a development category designed to bridge the step from F4 to FIA Formula 3. Most drivers are in their late teens to early twenties, representing around 20 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Each round features three sprint races with no pit stops, placing emphasis on consistent pace and race management.

The stage moves to Dubai Autodrome

After Rounds 1 and 2 at Yas Marina Circuit, host of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Round 3 was held at the Dubai Autodrome. The 5.390-km circuit, opened in 2004, combines a long straight with 16 technical corners, demanding precision and control from drivers.

Qualifying

In the 15-minute Qualifying 1 session, which set the grid for Race 1 and featured 32 cars, drivers began their final push from around the final five minutes of the session. Kato set a lap time of 1:53.167 to claim provisional pole. Despite late improvements from rivals, his time remained unbeaten, earning him his first pole position of the season by a margin of 0.083 seconds.

Qualifying 2, which determined the grid for Race 3, was contested by 31 cars. An incident just over four minutes into the session caused a red-flag stoppage, but Kato remained composed after the restart. He improved on his Qualifying 1 time with a lap of 1:53.039, yet finished P10, 0.408 seconds off the fastest time.

Race 1: Pole position → Victory

Starting from pole position, Kato made a clean launch and held the lead through Turn 1, completing a calm opening lap and quickly taking control of the race. By Lap 2, he had built a gap of around one second to P2 and continued to lead confidently as intense battles unfolded behind him.

With no major incidents, Race 1 became a clean contest that rewarded speed and consistency. Kato maintained a steady rhythm throughout the 16-lap race, never allowing the runner-up to close in, and crossed the line 1.335 seconds clear of P2 to secure his first victory of the season in a pole-to-win performance.

Race 2: Start P12 → Finish P11

The Race 2 grid was set by a reverse grid for the top 12 finishers from Race 1, placing Kato P12 at the start. He made a strong launch, navigating early chaos to climb to P10. After a safety car period, he briefly lost positions during close battles but recovered to P11 following contact among other cars. In the final 10 minutes, heavy pressure from behind dropped him as far as P15, before a determined recovery saw him regain positions and finish P11.

Race 3: Start P9 → Finish P5

After qualifying P10 in Qualifying 2, Kato was promoted to P9 on the Race 3 grid due to another car’s withdrawal. He engaged in close early battles but was unable to make immediate progress. A later safety car turned the race into a defensive contest, and a late retirement ahead allowed him to finish P7 at the checkered flag. Post-race penalties promoted him to P5.

Kato will step up to FIA Formula 3 from March and will miss FRME Round 4 to focus on FIA F3 testing. In his final FRME appearance at Round 3, he delivered a pole-to-win victory, building strong momentum ahead of his FIA F3 challenge.

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.

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