Williams Academy Member Kean Nakamura-Berta joins Trident for 2027 F3 season
Written by Liam Ploetner
Trident have announced their first driver for the 2027 Formula 3 season, with Kean Nakamura-Berta joining the Italian squad. Nakamura-Berta won the Italian F4 Championship in 2025, and finished third in the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) this year.
The Williams junior is the first driver to be confirmed on the 2027 grid. Nakamura-Berta debuted in single-seaters in 2024, finishing sixth in Italian F4. He was let go by Alpine at the end of that season, but an impressive sophomore campaign in the series which saw him take the championship impressed Williams, who recruited him into their academy.
In 2026, Nakamura-Berta finished third in FREC behind champion Emmanuele Olivieri and Sebastian Wheldon. He also won the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy this year as well.
In a press release, the 18-year-old stated:
“I’m pleased to be stepping up to F3 with Trident Motorsport while still having the ongoing support of the Williams F1 Team Driver Academy,” said Nakamura-Berta.
He added:
“Finishing the season strongly in FREC and having the opportunity to join such a competitive team in F3 gives me great confidence as I look ahead to my F3 debut next year. A big thank you to everyone involved who helped get me here.”
Trident have been successful in F3 in recent years, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Leonardo Fornaroli and Rafael Camara all winning championships with the Italian squad from 2023 to 2025. This year, they finished runner-up with Freddie Slater, a feat which they equalled with Jack Doohan in 2021 and Zane Maloney in 2022.
Giacomo Ricci, Trident's Team Principal, gave his thoughts on signing Nakamura-Berta.
“We are extremely pleased to announce the arrival of Kean Nakamura-Berta at Trident Motorsport for the 2027 FIA Formula 3 Championship season. Kean is a driver we have known and followed for some time, and he has demonstrated he has all the qualities needed to take this important step. His journey, from karting to Formula Regional, has been marked by constant growth and impressive results. It will be a pleasure to begin this collaboration and work together to best prepare for such an important campaign. We are convinced that Trident represents the ideal environment to allow Kean to continue his growth and express his full potential in the FIA Formula 3 series.”
Another person who has been impressed with Nakamura-Berta is Williams' Sporting Director Sven Smeets, who Nakamura-Berta will be aiming to impress once again in 2027. Smeets is the Team Principal of the Williams Driver Academy, overseeing a programme which has promoted the likes of 2026 Formula One (F1) drivers Lance Stroll and Franco Colapinto to Williams' F1 team. Smeets shared Ricci's perspective of London-born Nakamura-Berta:
“It's a proud moment to see Kean step up to F3 with Trident Motorsport for his rookie season. He has made impressive progress since joining the Academy this year, and this opportunity is a culmination of the hard work and dedication he's shown across a long and hard-fought title campaign, backed by an already outstanding record. This is a great moment for the Driver Academy, and a fitting reflection of the opportunities it creates for the next generation of talented drivers.”
Nakamura-Berta seeks to follow the footsteps of the likes of Stroll, Colapinto, and others including Logan Sargeant in making it to F1 in the future.
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