The season finale of Formula 3 has arrived, and Ugo Ugochukwu heads into the Spanish GP weekend with ‘nothing to lose’.
Formula 3 delivered a tense and exciting season with a tight battle for the championship title. Now, the ninth and final round has arrived as the drivers prepare to take on the Madring.
Ugo Ugochukwu has been one to watch as he has spent his season fighting with Freddie Slater for every point. The two championship rivals have gone toe-to-toe every race weekend, and the fight is likely to continue until the very last lap on Sunday.
With the final round taking place on a brand-new track, Madring presents a major challenge. While the F3 drivers had the privilege of getting familiar with the track in their in-season test, the pressure is on this time, as the championship is on the line.
Asked in a virtual media session attended by Motorsport Week about the challenge that the Madring presents, Ugochukwu expressed excitement rather than fear.
“It’s going to be fun,” The Campos driver started. “Street track is definitely less room for mistakes. So yeah, it’s just about chipping away, finding more and more time as the weekend goes on, as quali goes on, being close to the limit without going over.
“So yeah, we’ll see. I think in the test, we were pretty clean on that side, all three of our cars and campus. We don’t have any encounters with the wall, so we try to keep it the same way for the weekend.”
The Championship Battle
While the two championship rivals have fought tooth and nail to come out on top at the end of the F3 season, only one will be left standing with the title. Slater heads into the Madrid weekend with the upper hand as he leads the fight with 15 points.
However, in the nature of F3, anything can happen, and Ugochukwu could end up snatching the title. F3 is not the first time the two rivals have gone head-to-head, as earlier this year, they competed for the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy. While Ugochukwu soared to the title in New Zealand, the F3 winner remains to be seen.
Speaking about fighting Slater and how it has helped him evolve as a driver, Ugochukwu was positive about the battle.
“I guess we’ve been in this position before. Last weekend, fighting for the championship. So I guess we both kind of experienced that situation. But yeah, it’s been really good for sure. Another year of racing, more experience under my belt.
“Definitely learned a few things throughout the year. Pretty happy with how it went overall. And for sure, there were definitely little things that could have been better, but which I’ve learned and for sure will take on to next year and further my career.
“So it’s been all around an enjoyable 2026 to be fighting for two titles in a positive year.”
‘Nothing to lose’ in Madrid
Beyond being a new venue, the Madring presents a different challenge. F3 has decided that, instead of following the usual race-weekend format, the final round will consist of two qualifying sessions, one Sprint Race, and two Feature Races.
The Madrid weekend leaves 60 points up for grabs, which could significantly affect the championship. When asked whether the extra sessions reduce or increase the pressure on the driver, Ugochukwu seemed ready to take on the fight.
“All is good on my side. Another race, another chance to gain points, to get another race win under my belt.” Ugochukwu said.
“So yeah, definitely no added pressure. I’ve got nothing to lose. So yeah, just another quali to try and go and get P1.”
READ MORE: Niccolo Maccagnani steps in for Christian Ho in the final F3 round in Madrid
Discussion about this post