Williams has confirmed another step in Kean Nakamura-Berta’s career. The 18-year-old driver will compete in Formula 3 for Trident Motorsport next season, maintaining support from the Formula 1 team’s young driver program.
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This promotion comes after a strong season in the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA), in which Nakamura-Berta achieved eight podiums, including three wins, and finished the championship in third place. The result consolidated the driver’s progression within the junior category structure.
Nakamura-Berta, who has Japanese and Slovak ancestry, debuted in single-seaters in 2023, in the Southeast Asian F4 championship. The following year, he finished as runner-up in the UAE F4, before having a standout season in 2025.
That year, the driver won consecutive titles in the F4 championship and the Italian F4. In 2026, he added the Middle East Formula Regional Trophy title and third place in the FREC to his resume.
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Joining Trident also puts Nakamura-Berta on the same path followed by Rafael Câmara, 2025 F3 champion, and Freddie Slater, that year’s runner-up, both promoted from FREC to the category: “I am happy to move up to F3 with the continued support of the Williams program,” said the young driver.
Williams’ sporting director, Sven Smeets, described the moment as one of pride for the team and highlighted the opportunity for Nakamura-Berta to start his debut F3 season with Trident. For the executive, the promotion also represents the opportunities created by the program for the next generation of drivers.
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