F3: Ugochukwu dominates to claim maiden win in Melbourne

Ugo Ugochukwu dominated the Melbourne Feature Race to claim his first win in Formula 3.

Starting in second, Ugochukwu dropped to third on the run down to Turn 1 but overtook Freddie Slater and Campos Racing team mate Théophile Nael to win the race.

The American driver had built up a seven second lead at one stage, but had his margin of victory reduced with the race ending under Safety Car conditions.

Audi-backed Slater finished in second for TRIDENT, while ART Grand Prix rookie Taito Kato achieved his maiden podium – after Nael, who finished third on the road, received a five-second penalty for a false start that dropped him to P12.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Bruno del Pino followed up his Sprint Race victory by finishing fourth ahead of the second ART Maciej Gladysz and team mate Enzo Deligny.

In seventh was Brad Benavides of AIX Racing, with Pedro Clerot in eighth, the duo having come through from starting in P18 and P17, respectively.

Hitech’s Jin Nakamura and MP Motorsport’s Mattia Colnaghi rounded out the top 10, with the rookie pairing achieving their first points in Formula 3.

That wraps up the opening weekend of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season, but you can read a more in-depth report of the Feature Race on the official website here.