Ugo Ugochukwu grew to become the 2026 System 3 champion on Sunday, regardless of coming into the Madring weekend as a darkish horse.
Campos Racing’s Ugochukwu and Trident’s Freddie Slater emerged as the 2 title contenders over the summer season, courtesy of their consistency in characteristic races. Within the first seven rounds of the season – till the summer season break – Slater completed six characteristic races on the rostrum, whereas Ugochukwu stood at 5; no different drivers took greater than two top-three finishes on Sunday.
Spearheading Audi’s new Driver Growth Programme, Slater had a good probability of taking a near-decisive edge over a low-key Ugochukwu within the following Monza spherical. Nonetheless, after ending second within the dash, he steadily dropped down the order from pole place within the characteristic race and retired resulting from a technical challenge.
The 18-year-old Briton due to this fact went into the ultimate spherical, at Madring, with only a 15-point benefit over the 19-year-old American. The spherical unusually featured three races to make up for the lack of the Bahrain occasion because of the Iran conflict.
Slater nevertheless certified down in seventeenth and eighth, which proved to be his downfall, whereas Ugochukwu was fourth and second throughout the 2 qualifying classes.
Freddie Slater main Yevan David in Sunday’s characteristic race
Ugochukwu completed eighth within the dash and fourth within the first characteristic race whereas Slater failed to attain, which means whoever scored probably the most factors on Sunday would win the title.
The Campos driver had a stable race, which he spent in second place with out actually getting an opportunity to battle Tuukka Taponen for the win or having to defend his place.
In the meantime, his Trident counterpart misplaced a spot to Yevan David in the beginning, however handed the Sri Lankan across the exterior of Flip 1 on lap 5 to retrieve eighth place. This was removed from sufficient although to beat Ugochukwu to the crown.
“It felt like a for much longer race than typical,” the American mentioned. “It was fairly tough with the soiled air to overhaul Tuukka. I attempted my greatest a number of laps, however I noticed I couldn’t get fairly shut sufficient. We knew that P2 would clinch the title, so simply needed to finally convey it residence.
“Each single kerb felt louder than typical, I began listening to bizarre sounds, however I simply needed to hold it clear till the tip. As soon as I crossed the end line, I may loosen up. Simply actually relieved.”
Ugo Ugochukwu involves a halt as F3’s new champion
Photograph by: Dom Gibbons / System 1 through Getty Photos
Curiously, the pair beforehand fought for the System Regional European title over the winter, with Ugochukwu prevailing too.
This success will style like redemption to Ugochukwu, who left the McLaren junior programme on the finish of final yr after ending his maiden F3 season down in sixteenth.
“I don’t actually know what to really feel,” he mentioned. “It feels actually good. The work we put in all through all the season lastly paid off. It’s been an incredible marketing campaign, and I simply wish to thank my crew, Campos. We labored rather well collectively all yr, and to complete off like that is the very best approach. Clinching the groups’ championship yesterday and now the drivers’ one as nicely is just about an ideal season.”
“[It’s] tremendous particular. We had our objectives set out firstly of the yr, and right now we now have achieved them. It’s been tremendous good,” he added.
“I feel this weekend was the one which actually mattered probably the most. We have been tremendous scientific, no errors made the entire weekend, and we simply delivered after we needed to and picked up the factors. Excellent solution to finish the season.”
We would like your opinion!
What would you prefer to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
– The Motorsport.com Workforce