Nigerian American racing driver Ugo Ugochukwu has clinched the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy, just three months after parting ways with Formula 1 team McLaren’s junior programme.
The 18 year old sealed the championship with four wins from 15 races, finishing 15 points clear of Audi F1 junior Freddie Slater in the final standings. He stood on the podium at every round and only finished outside the top 10 twice, with consistency underpinning his title push.
“It’s an amazing feeling honestly to cross the line,” Ugochukwu said after wrapping up the title at the New Zealand Grand Prix, admitting the decisive race “felt way longer than usual.” “I’m just happy to get it done, to get it over with, and get the championship,” he added, paying tribute to his team for a “mega job all year.”
His campaign nearly unravelled at the finale when a left front suspension failure in qualifying led to a technical breach that dropped him to 13th on the grid. Despite the setback, he recovered to score the points needed to secure the crown, saying he had to “put it behind me and look at the bigger picture.”
Ugochukwu will now step up to his second FIA Formula 3 season with Campos Racing, with the new campaign scheduled to start on March 6–8 at the Australian Grand Prix.
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