Tsuchihashi takes third pole-to-win victory in Race 3, finishes season second overall
Paul RicardOn Sunday 11 October 2026, Race 3 of the final round of the French F4 Championship was held at Circuit Paul Ricard. Kota Tsuchihashi, who competes in the series as part of the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP), claimed a pole-to-win victory and finished the season second in the championship standings.
Race 3: Pole position → Victory
Having set the fastest second-best lap time in qualifying, Tsuchihashi started from pole position. He made a strong start and passed through Turn 1 without coming under pressure from the car behind. However, the Safety Car (SC) was deployed after a car came to a stop following contact further back in the field.
When racing resumed on Lap 4, Tsuchihashi retained the lead through Turn 1. Later that lap, another collision occurred in the midfield, causing a car to spin and come to a stop, triggering a second SC period.
Racing resumed on Lap 6, with Tsuchihashi once again holding on to the lead. He built a gap of around 1.5 seconds in a single lap and extended his advantage over the second placed car to approximately two seconds by Lap 9.
A third SC period began on Lap 10, and the race ended after 11 laps behind the SC. Tsuchihashi secured his third pole-to-win victory of the season and collected 47 points across the three races of the final round.
Over the 18 races of the 2026 season, Tsuchihashi claimed seven podium finishes, including three pole-to-win victories, and finished in the points on 13 occasions. He concluded his rookie season second in the championship standings.
©KSP Reportages