Ugochukwu claims maiden F3 victory in Melbourne

Nigerian-American driver Ugo Ugochukwu claimed his first FIA Formula 3 victory with a dominant performance in the Melbourne Feature Race.

The Campos Racing driver recovered from a slow start to take the lead early in the race and held on to claim victory ahead of Freddie Slater of TRIDENT.

Taito Kato finished third for ART Grand Prix after time penalties for Theophile Nael and Noah Stromsted reshaped the podium positions.

Ugochukwu recovers from slow start

Nael started from pole position and maintained the lead into the opening corner, while Slater moved ahead of Ugochukwu to take second place.

However, Ugochukwu quickly regained control and overtook Slater at Turn 9 on the second lap. He then closed in on Nael and made another decisive move at the same corner to take the race lead.

From that point, the Campos driver controlled the race and gradually built a gap to the chasing pack.

Safety cars disrupt race

The race was interrupted by multiple incidents that brought out the Safety Car.

The first came on Lap 9 after Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi crashed into the barriers at Turn 12.

Later in the race, another Safety Car was deployed when Woohyun Shin stopped on track with rear suspension damage.

The race ultimately ended under Safety Car conditions, confirming Ugochukwu’s maiden Formula 3 victory.

Penalties change podium order

Several penalties played a role in the final classification.

Nael received a five-second penalty for a false start, while Stromsted was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Nicola Lacorte.

As a result, Kato moved up to third place behind race winner Ugochukwu and runner-up Slater.

After the race, Ugochukwu expressed satisfaction with his performance.

“The Feature Race done here in Melbourne, managed to come away with a win, so super pleased, my first win in F3,” he said.

“It’s been a perfect start to the season. We have been quick all weekend.”

Championship standings

The victory places Ugochukwu at the top of the FIA Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship with 25 points after the opening round.

Slater and Bruno del Pino share second place with 18 points, while Kato sits fourth with 16 points.

In the teams’ standings, Van Amersfoort Racing lead with 30 points, followed by Campos Racing and ART Grand Prix.