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Former McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu has won the 2026 Formula 3 drivers' championship at the final round in Madrid.
Ugochukwu, 19, became the first FIA Formula Three champion from the United States on Sunday, September 13.
The Campos Racing driver kicked off the race second in the standings, 15 points down on leader Freddie Slater.
Due to the cancellation of the Bahrain event amid the Iran war, the round featured three races to make up points.
Ugochukwu won in a dramatic race
Slater qualified down in 17th and 8th, while Ugochukwu was fourth and second across the two qualifying sessions.
The Campos driver had a solid race, which he spent in second place without really getting a chance to fight Tuukka Taponen for the win or having to defend his position.
Meanwhile, his teammate lost a spot to Yevan David at the start but passed the Sri Lankan around the outside of Turn 1 on lap five to move back into eighth place; however, it was not enough for him to beat Ugochukwu and win the crown.
"It felt like a much longer race than usual," the American said. "It was quite difficult with the dirty air to overtake Tuukka. I tried my best a few laps, but I saw I couldn’t get quite close enough. We knew that P2 would clinch the title, so just had to ultimately bring it home."
He added, "Every single kerb felt louder than usual, I started hearing weird sounds, but I just had to keep it clean until the end. Once I crossed the finish line, I could relax. Just really relieved."
Ugochukwu left the McLaren junior programme at the end of last year after finishing his maiden F3 season down in 16th.
"I think this weekend was the one which really mattered the most. We were super clinical, no mistakes made the whole weekend, and we just delivered when we had to and picked up the points. Perfect way to end the season," the teen said.
The American driver has now joined a prestigious list of champions of the junior category, which includes names such as Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto.
