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Nigerian-American racing driver Ugo Ugochukwu has expressed pride in his Nigerian heritage after being crowned the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Drivers’ Champion, saying he hopes his success will inspire young Africans to pursue their dreams.
The 19-year-old New York-born driver secured the title in the final race of the season at the new Madring circuit in Madrid on Sunday, finishing second to claim the championship ahead of Britain’s Freddie Slater.
Ugochukwu finished the season with 159 points, 14 ahead of Slater, who came eighth in the race. Finland’s Tuukka Taponen finished third in the championship after winning Feature Race 2.
Speaking to SuperSport after securing the title, Ugochukwu, whose mother is Nigerian fashion model Oluchi Onweagba, said he was proud to represent his Nigerian heritage.
“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.
The championship capped a remarkable second season in FIA Formula 3 for Ugochukwu, who recorded seven podium finishes, including two victories.
Ugochukwu joined McLaren’s driver development programme and made his FIA Formula 3 debut with PREMA Racing in 2025.
He finished 16th in his rookie campaign after securing two podium finishes, before making significant progress in his second season.
Before moving into single-seaters, Ugochukwu enjoyed a successful karting career, winning the CIK-FIA European Championship in the OKJ category.
He made his British F4 debut in 2022 and finished third overall before moving to Italian F4 in 2023, where he finished second.
That same year, he won the Euro 4 title and finished third in the UAE F4 Championship.
In 2024, Ugochukwu competed in the Formula Regional Middle East and European championships before ending the year on a high with a Macau Grand Prix win.
Ugochukwu is the son of Onweagba and her Italian husband, Luca Orlandi. His mother won the M-Net Face of Africa modelling contest in 1998. (The Nation)
