Ugo Ugochukwu has secured the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy following a season built on consistency, clinching the championship with four victories from 15 races and finishing 15 points ahead of Audi-backed Freddie Slater.
The Nigerian-born American set the tone early with back-to-back wins at Hampton Downs, a decisive start that underpinned his title charge. He stood on the podium at every round and finished outside the top 10 just twice across the campaign.
“Honestly, it’s an amazing feeling to cross the line,” Ugochukwu said after the New Zealand Grand Prix. “The race felt much longer than usual. I’m just happy to get it done and secure the championship.
“It’s been a really strong season. I can’t thank the team enough — they did a mega job all year. I’m probably even happier for them than I am for myself.”
He highlighted the importance of his early momentum, adding: “Hampton Downs was the perfect start and gave me a good advantage for the rest of the season. Today was just about scoring the points we needed and bringing it home.”
The title fight faced a late scare at the season-ending New Zealand Grand Prix when a suspension failure sent him into the pits during qualifying. Although M2 Competition repaired the car in time, a technical infringement related to the suspension resulted in the 18-year-old being demoted to 13th on the grid for the feature race.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Ugochukwu admitted. “We were a bit unlucky in Q1, which was frustrating. I would’ve loved to fight for the New Zealand Grand Prix win as well, but I had to focus on the bigger picture — winning the championship — and that’s what we achieved.”
The Oceania campaign marked his first major season since parting ways with McLaren amid changes to its junior programme. With the title secured, Ugochukwu now turns his attention to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, where he will begin his second season with Campos Racing.
After finishing 16th overall last year with Prema — including two podiums — his 2026 F3 campaign is set to begin at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6–8.
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