Nigerian-American driver Ugo Ugochukwu has won the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship after finishing second in the season-ending Feature Race at the Madring circuit in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.
The 19-year-old, driving for Campos Racing, entered the final race tied on points with British rival Freddie Slater after a closely contested season.
Finland’s Tuukka Taponen won the Madrid Feature Race, but Ugochukwu’s runner-up finish was enough to secure the championship. Slater finished eighth, leaving Ugochukwu 14 points clear at the top of the standings.
The title makes Ugochukwu the first American to win the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
Born in New York, Ugochukwu has Nigerian and American heritage and has progressed through the junior single-seater categories with ambitions of reaching Formula 1.
He previously featured in McLaren’s Driver Development Programme before joining Campos Racing for his 2026 Formula 3 campaign.
Ugochukwu established himself as a championship contender early in the season, taking his maiden Formula 3 victory in the Melbourne Feature Race in March. He later won the Silverstone Sprint Race by 17 seconds.
The championship battle intensified during the second half of the season. Slater moved eight points ahead after the Budapest round in July, while Ugochukwu faced a 15-point deficit heading into the final weekend in Madrid.
A strong qualifying performance put Ugochukwu in position to fight back, while Slater struggled in the opening session. Ugochukwu then converted the opportunity with a second-place finish to complete his comeback.
His championship adds his name to the list of Formula 3 champions who have progressed to Formula 1, including Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto, as he continues his pursuit of a place on motorsport’s biggest stage.
Nigerian-American Ugo Ugochukwu wins 2026 FIA Formula 3 title
