Ugo Ugochukwu made a dominant early move to secure his maiden Formula 3 victory in a thrilling Feature Race at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. The event at Albert Park was packed with action, featuring two safety car periods, three penalties, and concluding after just 23 laps. Following Ugochukwu, Freddie Slater took second place, with Taito Kato completing an impressive all-rookie podium by finishing third.
The Weekend’s Narrative So Far…
The weekend at Albert Park began with Théophile Nael setting the pace, topping the 2026 season’s opening qualifying session. The Campos Racing driver narrowly beat rookie Ugo Ugochukwu by a mere two-hundredths of a second. Freddie Slater, starting second, was aiming for his first Formula 3 podium. Earlier, Bruno Del Pino had celebrated the season’s first victory after securing reverse grid pole in the Sprint Race.
However, that race was red-flagged after only nine laps due to a significant collision at Turn 5 involving PREMA teammates James Wharton (Australia) and Louis Sharp (New Zealand), both of whom hit the barriers. Unfortunately for PREMA, both Wharton and Sharp were withdrawn from the Feature Race less than an hour before its start, owing to the substantial damage sustained on Saturday.
Nael’s Initial Lead
At the start, Nael maintained his pole position, but Freddie Slater managed to gain on Ugochukwu into Turn 1. Nael, now in his second Formula 3 season, quickly established a lead of over one second. Utilizing DRS, Ugochukwu swiftly overtook Slater at Turn 9. By Lap 4, he executed a similar move on his teammate to claim the lead.
With 18 laps remaining, Brando Badoer advanced to fifth by passing Nicola Lacorte at Turn 11, hoping to follow up his Sprint Race podium. Taito Nako initially overtook Mattia Colnaghi, only to be subsequently passed by Noah Stromsted. A spin at the final corner saw Badoer fall to 11th, promoting Lacorte back to fifth.
Further down the field, rookie Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi’s race ended prematurely when he beached his car in the gravel at Turn 12, prompting the first safety car deployment of the F3 Feature Race.
The Race Resumes Under Green Flags
Following three laps under the safety car, Ugochukwu led the restart down the main straight. Nael and Slater immediately put pressure on Ugochukwu, as the leading trio began to pull away from the rest of the pack. A lap later, Lacorte moved into fourth, overtaking Maciej Gładysz. The DAMS Lucas Oil driver continued his ascent, snatching third position from Slater. Stromsted then advanced to fifth.
However, within the next lap, Slater reclaimed positions, passing both Stromsted and Lacorte at Turn 12. Lacorte’s troubles compounded, as he lost his front wing endplate and then received a five-second time penalty for an infringement at the start. Nael also incurred a five-second penalty for a similar starting procedure violation. Adding to the penalties, Stromsted was handed a ten-second penalty for causing a collision with Lacorte.
Ugochukwu Charges for the Finish
As the race neared its conclusion with three laps remaining, Ugochukwu extended his lead significantly, pulling four and a half seconds clear and seemingly cruising towards his inaugural Formula 3 win. Behind him, Slater executed a pass on Nael at Turn 9 to move into second.
True to F3 fashion, the race delivered a dramatic finale. A second safety car was deployed after Woohyun Shin went wide at Turn 5, hit the barriers, and sustained race-ending damage, forcing him to stop at the exit of Turn 6.
With the race ultimately concluding under safety car conditions, Ugochukwu officially clinched his first Formula 3 victory, propelling the Campos driver to the championship lead. Trident’s Slater secured a strong second place, while Kato benefited from penalties and movements to claim third, completing an impressive all-rookie podium. Bruno Del Pino narrowly missed a second podium finish at Albert Park, securing fourth. Gładysz finished fifth, ahead of Enzo Deligny and Brad Benavides.
Formula 3 is set to resume with Round 2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled from April 10th to 12th.