Ugochukwu Celebrates His Nigerian Heritage After F3 Win

Ugo Ugochukwu is celebrating his FIA Formula 3 Championship win after the Feature Race at Madring in Madrid, Spain on September 13, 2026. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)

After winning the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship, Nigerian-American driver Ugo Ugochukwu says he is proud of his Nigerian background. He hopes his success in racing can inspire young Africans to chase their dreams, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Ugochukwu, who is 19 years old, secured the title in the last race of the season at the new Madring circuit in Madrid on Sunday. He finished second, which was enough to win the championship over Britain's Freddie Slater.

The driver from New York finished the season with 159 points, 14 points ahead of Slater, who came in eighth place. Finland's Tuukka Taponen took third in the championship after winning the Feature Race 2.

After winning the title, Ugochukwu spoke to SuperSport. His mother is Nigerian fashion model Oluchi Onweagba, and he expressed pride in representing Nigeria.

"It’s amazing and I’m super proud of my Nigerian roots on my mum’s side. Every time I can get to the podium and get my name out there for anyone watching and supporting in Africa, it means a lot.

"Hopefully, I can be a role model to all the kids who like to have this dream as well," he said.

This championship wrapped up a great season for Ugochukwu. He had seven podium finishes, including two wins, in his second FIA Formula 3 season.

He joined McLaren’s driver development program and made his F3 debut with PREMA Racing in 2025. He finished 16th that year after earning two podiums.

Before moving to single-seaters, Ugochukwu had a successful karting career. He won the CIK-FIA European Championship, OKJ. He made his British F4 debut in 2022, finishing third overall.

In 2023, he switched to Italian F4 and came in second. He also won the Euro 4 title and placed third in the UAE F4 Championship.

In 2024, he took part in the Formula Regional Middle East and European championships. He ended the year by winning the Macau Grand Prix.

Ugochukwu is the son of Onweagba and her Italian husband, Luca Orlandi. His mother won the M-Net Face of Africa contest in 1998.