Newly crowned FIA Formula 3 champion Ugo Ugochukwu says he is proud to represent his Nigerian heritage on the international stage, even though he races under the United States flag.
Ugochukwu, whose mother is Nigerian supermodel Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi, became the first American to win the FIA Formula 3 championship after finishing second in the season-ending Feature Race in Madrid earlier this month.
He said during a post-race interview on SuperSport that his Nigerian heritage is a matter of pride: "I think it's amazing. I'm super proud of my Nigerian roots, on my mom's side.
"For me, it makes me very proud every time I can get on the podium, get my name out there to everyone watching and supporting in Africa. That means a lot and hopefully I can be a good role model to all the kids who would like to have this dream as well."
The 19-year-old entered the final weekend 15 points behind Britain's Freddie Slater, but drew level before last Sunday's race after qualifying and Saturday's Sprint Race.
Starting second behind Finland's Tuukka Taponen, Ugochukwu held his position to the finish while Slater came home eighth. The result gave the Campos Racing driver the championship with 159 points, 14 clear of Slater.
"There was a little bit of pressure, which is pretty normal," he said while describing the championship decider. "This last weekend was definitely the most important one of the championship."
With the hard part done in qualifying, the Ugochukwu said his priority in the final race was to protect the position he needed to secure the title, instead of chasing Taponen for the victory and putting it all at risk.
"We knew that was what I needed to win the championship, so it was just about getting it home," he said.
The championship win has attracted even more attention in Nigeria, where his maternal heritage means that Nigerians have followed his progress through the international racing ranks, all the way from his go-carting beginnings.
Born in New York to Onweagba-Orlandi and Italian fashion designer Luca Orlandi, Ugochukwu represents the United States in international competition. His mother won the inaugural M-Net Face of Africa competition in 1998 before going on to an international modelling career that included work with some of the world's leading fashion houses.
This Nigerian connection has previously brought public recognition from prominent Nigerians. After he won the Macau Grand Prix in 2024, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Chair Abike Dabiri-Erewa congratulated him, while former presidential candidate Peter Obi also celebrated the achievement, pointing to his Nigerian heritage.
That Macau victory made Ugochukwu the first American to win the event since Bob Earl in 1981 and added to a record that already included the 2020 FIA Karting European Championship junior title and the inaugural Euro 4 Championship in 2023.
He added the Formula Regional Oceania championship earlier this year before returning for his second season in Formula 3.
His first F3 campaign with PREMA Racing in 2025 produced two podium finishes and 16th place in the championship. Now, the move to Campos Racing for 2026 has brought an immediate improvement, beginning with victory in the opening Feature Race in Melbourne.
Ugochukwu also won the Sprint Race at Silverstone and finished the season with two victories and seven podiums on his way to the title.
"This was the main goal at the start of the year, to get the championship," he said after Sunday's race. "I think after quali we knew we did our job, we did the main task, and today, and yesterday, it was just about execution and getting the points and bringing it home."
The title also drew congratulations from seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, who visited with the young champ and acknowledged his achievement on Instagram.
Ugochukwu was part of McLaren's driver development program from the age of 13, when the Formula One team signed him to a long-term agreement following his success in karting.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship, which sits immediately below Formula 2, is on the principal development ladder to Formula One, with recent champions Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto among those who subsequently progressed to F1.
