Nigerian-American driver Ugo Ugochukwu has made history as the first Formula 3 champion from the United States. He achieved this feat by finishing second in the last race of the 2026 season in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.
Formula 1 shared the news on its X account on Sunday. The 19-year-old finished the championship with 159 points, 14 points ahead of British driver Freddie Slater.
Ugochukwu, who races for Campos Racing, entered the final race tied on points with Slater after trailing him earlier in the season. Formula 1 reported that Ugochukwu stayed out of trouble, finishing second to secure the title. Finland’s Tuukka Taponen won the final race, marking his first F3 victory.
Taponen started from pole position and maintained his lead through Turn 1. He managed to keep a gap between himself and Ugochukwu. A late Safety Car caused a final-lap sprint, but Taponen held on to win, with Ugochukwu in second place and Pedro Clerot taking third.
Slater, who is an Audi Development Driver, finished eighth in the race. This left him in second place in the championship standings with 145 points.
After winning the title, Ugochukwu said, “We knew we just had to keep it clean to clinch the title, and that’s what we did. No mistakes, brought it home and super pleased.”
Ugochukwu was born and raised in New York City. He is the son of Nigerian fashion model Oluchi Onweagba and her Italian husband.
He joins the ranks of former F3 champions like Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto, who now compete in Formula One for McLaren and Audi respectively. The Formula 3 championship is one step below Formula Two on the ladder to Formula One.
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