ART Grand Prix opened its 2026 F3 campaign strongly at the Australian GP in Melbourne, securing four top-six finishes across the Sprint and Feature Races.
With an all-rookie line-up, the team delivered an encouraging performance. Taito Kato and Maciej Gładysz both scored valuable points, while Kanato Le endured a more difficult weekend. Le retired from the Feature Race and finished P26 in the Sprint. On the other hand, Kato emerged as ART’s standout rookie, claiming a podium with P3 in his maiden Formula 3 Feature Race.
Speaking about the weekend, ART Team Principal Sébastien Philippe stated, “It was a much better position this year, especially taking into consideration that our three drivers were rookies this year. They didn’t know the track, which was quite a big disadvantage compared to the drivers who were there one year ago.“
Strong pace with little experience at 2026 Australian GP for the ART rookies
The result marked a significant improvement compared with 2025, when ART left Melbourne without scoring a single point. This year, the French team collected 26 points over the weekend.
A smooth Free Practice session allowed the rookies to familiarise themselves with the Albert Park circuit and build valuable track time. In Qualifying, both Gładysz and Kato secured places inside the top 10, while Le qualified P26. Despite the mixed results, ART demonstrated promising pace throughout the Australian GP weekend.
Phillipe explained, “Fortunately, we had a smooth Free Practice without too many Red Flags and that allowed us to build up the laps which definitely helped to put our drivers in a position to be able to qualify well.
“I think both Taito and Maciej delivered strong pace in quali because they are still very young and have very little experience. Unfortunately for Kanato, quali didn’t go his way for different reasons but I think his pace was much better than what he was able to show in quali.
“But we all know that if you miss out in quali and are out of the top 12, your weekend starts to become very, very difficult. But at the end of the day, I think it was a strong first weekend, especially compared to last year where we messed up completely.”
Consistency is the key in F3
Formula 3 often produces unpredictable races, making consistency essential for success. Young drivers must quickly adapt to new circuits and changing conditions while maintaining strong performances.
Philippe believes the team’s Melbourne performance demonstrates the potential within both the drivers and the car. With limited single-seater experience, the rookies still have significant room to improve.
“It shows you that they are capable of doing it. Both didn’t carry too much expectation – I pushed them not to have too much because, again, both of them are very young. They spent only one year in the previous category. They are very talented, but experience is something important.
“So, to get consistency, you need experience. I think the talent is there, and I think we provided them a car that meant they were able to deliver. And they did. So now they need to build on results. Consistency is the key to make small steps.”
As the drivers gain experience over the coming rounds, the team expects them to continue progressing and producing stronger results.
Lessons from the 2025 F3 season
The 2025 F3 season presented several challenges for ART, particularly during the Melbourne round, which proved to be one of the team’s toughest weekends. In contrast, ART left the 2026 Australian GP satisfied with its progress.
Philippe reflected on how the team’s improved understanding of the car helped them avoid repeating past mistakes.
“12 months ago, we arrived with a completely new car to understand. We were doing a small amount of testing before the first race in Australia. So it meant that we went in a bit blind and you have to take some risks in terms of setup.
“We now know that clearly, we made a few mistakes one year ago in Melbourne and we were not going to repeat them. So I think we were working throughout 2025 in order to understand the new car better and better.
“When you get it right, everything gets easier. But when you get it wrong, you need to find out why and to understand why you went wrong.
“We didn’t repeat the same mistakes as last year in Melbourne. I think we have a better understanding of the car. I’m staying cautious, because small little things could have changed the weekend completely, but we understand better the car than last year.
“I’m sure every other team will be saying the same. You can clearly see that the gaps are so small, but I prefer to start the season like we did this year. It puts us in a much better mindset and we’re much more confident than last year moving forward.”
By learning from last season’s difficulties, ART made clear progress in Melbourne. With the tight margins that define Formula 3, the team will aim to build on this momentum at the next round.
