Ugochukwu becomes first American F3 champion

Ugo Ugochukwu became the first American to win the FIA Formula 3 championship, securing the title at the Madrid finale on Sunday. The 19-year-old finished second in the final feature race for Campos Racing, clinching the crown by 11 points over his rival Freddie Slater. Ugochukwu entered the final round at the Madrid circuit trailing Audi junior driver Slater by 15 points. However, a dramatic weekend saw the championship lead evaporate. Slater qualified poorly, starting 17th and 8th for the first two races, and failed to score in either. Ugochukwu, meanwhile, qualified fourth and second, finishing eighth in the sprint and fourth in the first feature race to level the points standings heading into the final race. With the title on the line, Ugochukwu started from second on the grid and maintained his position to finish behind winner Tuukka Taponen. Slater, who started eighth, could only gain one position to finish eighth, ending his challenge. The result capped a remarkable turnaround for Ugochukwu, who had left the McLaren junior programme after finishing 16th in his debut F3 season last year. "I don't really know what to feel, but it feels really good," Ugochukwu said.