Ugo Ugochukwu celebrated his first win in the FIA Formula 3 Championship after delivering an impressive performance in the Feature Race at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne.
Driving for Campos Racing, Ugochukwu recovered from a difficult start that saw him slip to third place before battling his way back to take control of the race. He eventually crossed the finish line ahead of Freddie Slater of TRIDENT, while Taito Kato of ART Grand Prix secured the final podium position after penalties were handed to other drivers.
Pole-sitter Theophile Nael initially held the lead at the start of the race, with Slater moving into second after overtaking Ugochukwu off the line. Slater briefly challenged Nael on the opening lap but could not complete the move.
Ugochukwu quickly regained pace and overtook Slater on lap two to reclaim second position. He then closed the gap to Nael and made a decisive overtake to move into the lead of the race.
Further back, Kato steadily moved through the field, passing Noah Stromsted to improve his position. The front runners soon created a gap to the rest of the pack before the race was interrupted on lap nine when Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi crashed at Turn 12, bringing out the Safety Car.
When the race resumed, Ugochukwu pulled away from the field while Nael faced pressure from Slater behind him. Several battles unfolded further down the order, including a contest involving Nicola Lacorte.
Later in the race, Nael received a five-second penalty for a false start, while Stromsted was given a ten-second penalty for causing a collision. Slater eventually used DRS to pass Nael and move into second place.
Another Safety Car was deployed after Woohyun Shin stopped on track with suspension damage. The race ended under Safety Car conditions, confirming Ugochukwu’s maiden Formula 3 victory, with Slater finishing second and Kato promoted to third due to the penalties.
Bruno del Pino finished fourth after winning the weekend’s Sprint Race, followed by Maciej Gladysz and Enzo Deligny. Brad Benavides placed seventh for AIX Racing, ahead of Pedro Clerot and Jin Nakamura, while Mattia Colnaghi completed the top ten.
Speaking after the race, Ugochukwu expressed his excitement about securing his first Formula 3 victory and praised his team for their support throughout the weekend.
Following the opening round of the season, Ugochukwu now leads the drivers’ championship standings with 25 points, ahead of Slater and Del Pino, who both have 18 points. Kato sits fourth with 16 points, while Deligny is fifth with 12.
In the teams’ standings, Van Amersfoort Racing leads with 30 points, followed by Campos Racing with 27 and ART Grand Prix with 26. TRIDENT occupies fourth place with 20 points, while Rodin Motorsport rounds out the top five.
Ugochukwu is the son of Nigerian supermodel Oluchi Onweagba and Italian fashion designer Luca Orlandi. He previously finished third in the F4 British Championship with Carlin and was runner-up in the 2023 Italian F4 Championship with Prema.
In 2024, he also made history by becoming the first American driver in 43 years to win the Macau Grand Prix and was part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme from 2021 to 2025.
