Ugochukwu Makes History with Maiden F3 Victory in Melbourne

18‑year‑old Nigerian‑American racer Ugochukwu delivered a standout performance to win his first FIA Formula 3 Feature Race at the season opener in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday.

The Campos Racing driver began the race from near the front but dropped a couple of places at the start. He quickly recovered, overtaking key rivals Freddie Slater and Théophile Naël in the early laps to seize the lead and control the pace for the rest of the race.

Two safety car interruptions late in the race prevented further battles for the lead, and Ugochukwu crossed the finish line first. Japan’s Taito Kato moved into third place behind Slater after penalties were applied to other drivers.

With this result, Ugochukwu now sits atop the FIA Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship standings after the opening round of the 2026 season. Born in New York City to Nigerian supermodel Oluchi Onweagba and her Italian husband, Ugochukwu has been building a strong motorsport profile in junior series and marked this weekend as a major career milestone.