Nigerian-American racing driver Ugo Ugochukwu has won the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship, becoming the first American driver to claim the title.
The 19-year-old secured the championship on Sunday, September 13, after finishing second in the final race of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. He raced for Campos Racing and finished the season 14 points ahead of British driver Freddie Slater.
Ugochukwu was born in New York City on April 23, 2007. His mother is Nigerian fashion model Oluchi Onweagba, while his father, Luca Orlandi, is an Italian fashion designer. Oluchi grew up in Lagos and rose to international prominence after winning the Face of Africa modelling competition. She later built a global career that included work with major fashion houses and appearances for Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated. Luca founded the New York fashion label ‘Luca Luca’. 
Ugochukwu, however, chose motorsport rather than following his parents into fashion.
He started karting as a child and later won the FIA European Karting Championship in the OK-Junior category. His performances attracted McLaren, which signed him to its Driver Development Programme in 2021 when he was 13.
He moved into single-seater racing in 2022 and finished third in the British Formula 4 Championship. A year later, he finished second in Italian F4 and won the Euro 4 Championship.
Another major victory followed in 2024 when he won the Macau Grand Prix. The result made him the first American to win the famous race in 43 years.
Ugochukwu entered FIA Formula 3 with PREMA Racing in 2025 and recorded two podium finishes during his debut season. He moved to Campos Racing for 2026 and started the year by winning the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.
His second F3 campaign has now ended with the biggest title of his single-seater career so far.
Formula 3 sits below Formula 2 on the FIA pathway towards Formula One. Previous F3 champions include current Formula One drivers Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto.
With the 2026 championship secured, Ugochukwu has added another major title to a career that began in karting and has steadily moved through the junior categories of international motorsport.
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