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Taito Kato produced a standout drive in the Monza Sprint Race, charging from ninth on the grid to claim his first FIA Formula 3 victory for ART Grand Prix.
The Japanese driver had to withstand intense pressure from TRIDENT’s Freddie Slater on the final lap. Slater’s own recovery was equally impressive, rising from 12th to second, while Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hiyu Yamakoshi completed the podium in third.
The result reshaped the title picture ahead of the Feature Race. Slater moved to 139 points and extended his advantage over Ugo Ugochukwu to 17 points after Ugochukwu finished 14th. Ernesto Rivera climbed to third in the standings on 76 points, one ahead of Théophile Nael.
The opening laps initially belonged to Rodin Motorsport’s Brando Badoer and Pedro Clerot, who worked together to keep Tuukka Taponen behind. However, Badoer’s lock-up at Turn 1 and a wide moment at Ascari allowed Clerot to take the lead.
The front battle then unravelled on Lap 4. Barrichello, Badoer and Taponen made contact on the run to Turn 1, forcing Badoer and Taponen into the pitlane with front-wing damage. Barrichello stopped on track with rear suspension damage, bringing out the Safety Car and handing the lead to Alessandro Giusti ahead of Clerot, Rivera and Kato.
Kato immediately made his presence felt after the restart, passing Rivera around the outside at Turn 1. A second interruption followed when Maciej Gladysz stopped, but racing resumed on Lap 9 before Clerot reclaimed the lead from Giusti. Clerot then stopped on track with an issue, prompting another Safety Car period.
With the race reset once more, Kato moved decisively into contention. Giusti fell from the lead to fourth, while Kato and Yamakoshi moved ahead. Slater then passed Yamakoshi and applied sustained pressure to Kato, who was instructed by ART to give everything on the penultimate lap.
He delivered. Kato kept the lead through the final tour to secure a first Formula 3 win that he described as “incredible” after a difficult run of races. “The car was amazing all the race,” he said, thanking his team, engineers, mechanics and supporters.
The result follows Freddie Slater’s Monza pole position, setting up another crucial contest at the Temple of Speed. The Feature Race is scheduled for 08:15 local time on Sunday.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.