Ugo Ugochukwu

Ugo Ugochukwu Orlandi (; born April 23, 2007) is an American racing driver who competes in the FIA Formula 3 Championship for Campos.

Born and raised in New York City, Ugochukwu is the son of Nigerian fashion model Oluchi Onweagba and her Italian husband. After early success in karting with Sauber, Ugochukwu got signed to the McLaren Driver Development Programme aged 13. Noted for his tall height since his single-seater debut in 2022, Ugochukwu finished third in British F4 for Carlin and second in Italian F4 for Prema. Ugochukwu graduated to Formula Regional in 2024, and became the first American victor of the Macau Grand Prix in 43 years. He moved up to FIA Formula 3 with Prema in 2025. After a winless season, Ugochukwu was dropped by McLaren and switched to Campos.

Early and personal life Ugo Ugochukwu Orlandi was born in New York City on April 23, 2007. His father, Luca Orlandi, is an Italian fashion designer and his mother, Oluchi Onweagba, is a Nigerian fashion model.

Ugochukwu is noted for his tall height relative to his competitors.

Career Karting Ugochukwu began his karting career in USA, winning the Micro ROK Cup USA in 2014 and the Florida Winter Tour in 2015 before moving to Italy to compete in European championships. He went on to win the X30 Mini category of the IAME International Open in 2017 and the Junior ROK category of the Challenge of the Americas in 2018. In 2020 he took victory in the FIA OK-Junior European Karting Championship.

Formula 4

2022 In 2021, Ugochukwu took part in an F4 testing program with Motopark, including tracks like Estoril and Oschersleben. In 2022 he progressed onto the junior formula ladder, driving for Carlin in British F4 alongside Williams junior Oliver Gray and New Zealander Louis Sharp. On the day of his first weekend, when Ugochukwu turned fifteen which allowed him to be eligible to race in Formula 4, Ugochukwu took his first pole position. He would be unable to convert it into a victory, taking third place along with the fastest lap in race 1 at Donington Park. In the remainder of the season, Ugochukwu took two race wins at Brands Hatch and Knockhill to finish third in the championship behind Alex Dunne and Oliver Gray and also became Rookie Cup champion.

In August, Ugochukwu joined Prema Racing to race in some of the remaining rounds of the Italian F4 Championship and ADAC Formula 4 Championship, where he achieved multiple podium finishes.

2023

Ugochukwu remained with Prema for 2023 competing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship and Italian F4 Championship. In the Italian championship he became vice-champion after fighting Kacper Sztuka for the title until the final round at Vallelunga Circuit. In 2023 Ugochukwu also became the first champion of the new Euro 4 Championship.

Formula Regional 2024

In 2024, Ugochukwu remained with Prema Racing to compete in the Formula Regional European Championship where he finished eleventh, taking a race win at the season finale at Monza. Ugochukwu also competed in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship with the Mumbai Falcons, placing seventh overall.

Alongside his main campaign in Formula Regional European Championship, Ugochukwu competed in four rounds of the 2024 GB3 Championship with Rodin Motorsport. He scored three podiums over eleven races, finishing 13th in the overall standings.

Later that year, Ugochukwu joined R-ace GP to contest the Macau Grand Prix. He qualified on pole position and won the race, becoming the first American winner of the event since Bob Earl in 1981. He took his maiden FR Middle East victory in the first race at the Dubai Autodrome, having started from third position. With an additional five podiums, he finished third in the overall standings.

FIA Formula 3 Ugochukwu took part in post-season testing of the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship with Rodin Carlin. He also competed in the non-championship Macau Grand Prix with Trident. A collision in the qualifying race meant he started the main race from the back row. He managed to improve to 15th position overall.

2025

In October 2024, Ugochukwu was announced to be stepping up to FIA Formula 3, whilst continuing his relationship with Prema Racing. Ugochukwu struggled during the first half of the campaign, only scoring two points finishes at Melbourne and Imola. At the same time as Prema stripped away his car's livery, Ugochukwu's form improved, as he took third on the road during the Spielberg sprint race. Though he was later given a ten-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage that demoted him from third to 16th, he finished fifth in the feature race and got promoted to fourth after a disqualification ahead. Ugochukwu then qualified second at Silverstone and took fifth on Saturday, but finished out of the points on Sunday after starting on dry tyres in a race that got progressively wetter, necessitating a pit stop.

Nonetheless, Ugochukwu continued his strong performances at Spa, where he charged up to second in the sprint race following passes on Charlie Wurz and Freddie Slater. He then executed another charging drive in the Budapest sprint to come second, though his run for a podium on Sunday was ended by a collision caused by Gerrard Xie. Ugochukwu qualified second for the season finale in Monza. He finished ninth in the sprint race but spun into the gravel in the feature, ending his race. Ugochukwu finished 16th in the drivers' standings, ahead of his teammates Noel León and Brando Badoer.

2026 Ugochukwu moved to reigning champions' Campos Racing for the 2026 season, alongside Théophile Naël and Ernesto Rivera.

Formula One Following his victory in the FIA OK-Junior European Karting Championship with the Sauber Karting Team in 2020, Ugochukwu signed a long-term deal with the McLaren Driver Development Programme in 2021 to facilitate his transition from junior motorsport to professional racing driver. In June 2026, he tested a Formula One car for the first time, driving the Alpine A524 during a private test session in Monza.

Formula E In May 2024, McLaren Formula E Team announced that Ugochukwu and Grégoire Saucy would drive for the team at the official rookie test at the Berlin ePrix.

Karting record

Karting career summary

Complete CIK-FIA Karting European Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DC Points 2019 Ricky Flynn Motorsport OKJ ANGQH ANGR GENQH GENR KRIQH KRIR LEMQH LEMR 8th 38 2020 KR Motorsport OKJ ZUEQH ZUER 1st 65 Sauber Karting Team SARQH SARR WACQH WACR 2021 KR Motorsport OK GENQH GENR AUBQH AUBR SARQH SARR ZUEQH ZUER 7th 28

Racing record Racing career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position 2022 F4 British Championship Carlin 30 2 3 8 11 290 3rd ADAC Formula 4 Championship Prema Racing 6 0 0 0 2 NC† Italian F4 Championship 6 0 0 0 4 84 10th 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship Prema Racing 15 5 2 4 8 185 3rd Italian F4 Championship 21 3 3 4 13 280 2nd Euro 4 Championship 9 3 1 2 5 193 1st Macau Grand Prix Trident 1 0 0 0 0 15th 2024 Formula Regional Middle East Championship Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited 15 0 0 0 3 105 7th Formula Regional European Championship Prema Racing 20 1 1 0 2 76 11th GB3 Championship Rodin Motorsport 11 0 0 0 3 185 13th Macau Grand Prix R-ace GP 1 1 1 0 1 1st 2025 Formula Regional Middle East Championship R-ace GP 15 1 1 2 6 205 3rd FIA Formula 3 Championship Prema Racing 19 0 0 0 2 43 16th 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy M2 Competition 15 4 2 4 8 326 1stFIA Formula 3 ChampionshipCampos Racing 2 1 0 0 1 25 1st*Sources: Driver participated as a guest driver and was thus ineligible to score points. Season still in progress.

Complete F4 British Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 DC Points 2022 Carlin DON1 DON2 DON3 BHI1 BHI2 BHI3 THR11 THR12 THR13 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 THR21 THR22 THR23 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 BHGP1 BHGP2 BHGP3 3rd 290

Complete Italian F4 Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 DC Points 2022 Prema Racing IMO1 IMO2 IMO3 MIS1 MIS2 MIS3 SPA1 SPA2 SPA3 VLL1 VLL2 VLL3 RBR1 RBR2 RBR3 RBR4 MNZ1 MNZ2 MNZ3 MUG1 MUG2 MUG3 10th 84 2023 Prema Racing IMO1 IMO2 IMO3 IMO4 MIS1 MIS2 MIS3 SPA1 SPA2 SPA3 MNZ1 MNZ2 MNZ3 LEC1 LEC2 LEC3 MUG1 MUG2 MUG3 VLL1 VLL2 VLL3 2nd 280 Sources: Ugochukwu finished 1st on track, but received three post-race penalties - one ten-second penalty for dangerous driving, and two five-second penalties for overtaking off-track.

Complete Formula 4 UAE Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Points 2023 Prema Racing DUB11 DUB12 DUB13 KMT11 KMT12 KMT13 KMT21 KMT22 KMT23 DUB21 DUB22 DUB23 YMC1 YMC2 YMC3 3rd 185

Complete Euro 4 Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points 2023 Prema Racing MUG1 MUG2 MUG3 MNZ1 MNZ2 MNZ3 CAT1 CAT2 CAT3 1st 193

Complete Macau Grand Prix results Year Team Car Qualifying Quali Race Main race 2023 Trident Motorsport Dallara F3 2019 9th DNF 15th 2024 R-ace GP Tatuus F3 T3181st1st 1st

Complete Formula Regional Middle East Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 DC Points 2024 Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YMC11 YMC12 YMC13 YMC21 YMC22 YMC23 DUB11 DUB12 DUB13 YMC31 YMC32 YMC33 DUB21 DUB22 DUB23 7th 105 2025 R-ace GP YMC11 YMC12 YMC13 YMC21 YMC22 YMC23 DUB1 DUB2 DUB3 YMC31 YMC32 YMC33 LUS1 LUS2 LUS3 3rd 205

Complete GB3 Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula Regional European Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points 2024 Prema Racing HOC1 HOC2 SPA1 SPA2 ZAN1 ZAN2 HUN1 HUN2 MUG1 MUG2 LEC1 LEC2 IMO1 IMO2 RBR1 RBR2 CAT1 CAT2 MNZ1 MNZ2 11th 76

Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points 2025 Prema Racing MELSPR MELFEA BHRSPR BHRFEA IMOSPR IMOFEA MONSPR MONFEA CATSPR CATFEA RBRSPR RBRFEA SILSPR SILFEA SPASPR SPAFEA HUNSPR HUNFEA MNZSPR MNZFEA 16th 43 2026 Campos Racing MELSPR MELFEA MONSPR MONFEA CATSPR CATFEA RBRSPR RBRFEA SILSPR SILFEA SPASPR SPAFEA HUNSPR HUNFEA MNZSPR MNZFEA MADSPR MADFEA1 MADFEA2 2nd* 122* Season still in progress.

Complete Formula Regional Oceania Trophy results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete New Zealand Grand Prix results Year Team Car Qualifying Main race 2026 M2 Competition Tatuus FT-60 - Toyota 13th 9th