Former McLaren junior seals F3 title after tense showdown

Former McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu has sealed the 2026 Formula 3 drivers' championship at the final round in Madrid.

Ugochukwu entered the event sitting second in the standings, 15 points down on leader Freddie Slater.

More points were on offer this weekend in Madrid due to an extra feature race being added to the schedule.

Slater's weekend got off to a terrible start as the Audi F1 junior endured a challenging qualifying session, putting him down the order for the races.

Slater could not score in the first two races, with the first feature race of the weekend seeing him spin out into the wall - albeit when he was well outside the points.

An eighth and a fourth for Ugochukwu in the first two races drew him level on points with Slater for the final race of the season.

Starting from second on the grid, it was advantage Ugochukwu as Slater lined up in eighth place.

With overtaking highly difficult around the Madring, Slater could not progress forward as he ended the race in eighth, while Ugochukwu was second.

A last-lap safety car restart put the pressure on Ugochukwu, but he was able to hold on to his spot in the order to the chequered flag.

It lifted Ugochukwu 14 points clear of Slater, allowing him to take the F3 crown.

The American driver has now joined a prestigious list of champions of the junior category, which includes names such as Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto.