Taito Kato continues to be one of the most competitive drivers of the season in the famous Championship run by the FFSA Academy. The Magny-Cours event, where the fifth of the seven 2024 rounds was contested, enabled him to score further big points in the overall standings and remain one of the contenders for the title. However, a number of setbacks prevented the promising Japanese driver from fighting for victory.
“As early as private practice on Thursday, I had a good feeling about the Magny-Cours track,” says Taito. “On Friday morning, I finished 2nd in Free Practice, which gave me confidence for Qualifying. Unfortunately, I had a problem downshifting at this important point in the meeting. It wasn’t ideal for perfect concentration. I was P2 at the start of the session, then P4 when a red flag forced us into the pits. When we restarted for a few minutes, I wasn’t able to improve as much as I’d hoped and I found myself P5, just 2 tenths off a front row place.”
Thanks to an excellent start and a great fighting spirit, Taito Kato managed to return to the third step of the podium in Race 1. After being hit from behind in Race 2, the Japanese driver was unable to gain any places with a damaged single-seater, only managing an 8th-place finish after a P6 start.
Kato Taito, F4, JPN, MYGALE / RENAULT / PIRELLI, FFSA Academy, Championnat de France, MAGNY-COURS, National Race, © KSP Reportages
Finally in Race 3 Taito picked up his best result of the weekend. “I had another excellent start to the race and was able to quickly move up from 5th to 2nd place. I tried to push to get closer to the leader, but my tyres were starting to show signs of weakness. The front tyres were suffering as I kept attacking and delaying my braking. Despite everything, I managed to easily control the drivers behind me to secure a 2nd place that is important for the French Championship. I’m currently 3rd in the standings and I’m looking forward to the next round at Dijon from 13th to 15th September to close the gap on the two drivers ahead of me”.
Info Kartcom / Photo KSP – Guillaume Veuve