Kato Shines with First F3 Win in Thrilling Monza Sprint Race

Highlights

Taito Kato won Formula 3 Sprint Race from ninth on grid.
Freddie Slater finished second, extending championship lead to 17 points.
Hiyu Yamakoshi secured third place for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Slater earned pole position for Sunday’s Feature Race at Monza.
Tight battles and strategic overtakes defined the Monza Sprint Race.

Taito Kato claims his maiden Formula 3 win in the Monza Sprint Race, rising from ninth. The ART Grand Prix driver resists Freddie Slater in a tense, two-lap finale.

Slater charges from 12th to second for TRIDENT and extends his championship lead to 17 points. Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hiyu Yamakoshi completes the podium after a disciplined, pace-led run.

Kato wins the Monza Sprint Race after starting ninth on the grid.

Progression is deliberate, built on straight-line efficiency and clean exits at Monza’s slipstream-heavy layout, the Temple of Speed, where track position and cooperation often trump raw pace.

Taito Kato leads the Formula 3 Monza Sprint Race — Image Credit: Formula 1

Early leader Alessandro Giusti sets the tempo for MP Motorsport, but Kato times his advances well, then defends robustly when the pack compresses late, neutralising Slater’s momentum in the tow.

AIX Racing’s Yevan David executes a decisive last-lap move on Giusti for fourth. Giusti settles for fifth, ahead of teammate Mattia Colnaghi, who banks solid points in sixth.

Slater’s runner-up finish grows his standings advantage to 17 points.

Campos Racing’s Ernesto Rivera finishes seventh. Enzo Deligny brings the second Van Amersfoort Racing car home in eighth. DAMS Lucas Oil’s Nicola Lacorte and Bruno del Pino complete the scorers.

The result reshapes Sunday’s grid dynamics. Slater secures pole for the Feature Race, with ART’s Kanato Le alongside, amplifying title tension into the main event at Monza.

Slater starts Sunday’s Feature Race from pole, with ART’s Kanato Le alongside.

Freddie Slater and Hiyu Yamakoshi battle during the Monza Formula 3 Sprint — Image Credit: Auto Hebdo

Team execution proves decisive: coordinated towing, braking stability into Variante del Rettifilo, and rear-tyre management through Lesmo exits. Those factors echo weekend deployment patterns and dictate overtaking windows.

Kato’s measured aggression underlines ART’s momentum, while TRIDENT and VAR keep pressure high. With points condensed, the Monza Feature Race should reward track craft in evolving Formula 3 form.

Visual Summary

Grid

➔

🏁
KATO

1ST

Victory

FROM 9TH TO 1ST

Taito Kato conquers Monza with a heroic overtaking spree

🚗
🚗

💨

Photo Finish

Freddie Slater (2nd)
Closes gap, extends championship lead to 17pts

Sprint Race Podium

1. Kato
2. Slater
3. Yamakoshi

Overtakes. Defense. Drama.

On a legendary track where overtaking is rare, Kato surged from 9th to victory in a precision drive for the ages.
Slater’s recovery and push for the title adds spice to tomorrow’s battle.

All eyes on the Feature Race at Monza: Slater vs. Kato continues.

Zane Muniz

Zane Muniz writes across NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, IMSA, NHRA, and dirt-racing news. His breaking-news alerts and event previews ensure motorsport fans never miss a lap, drift, or drag-strip showdown.