American racing driver (born 2007)
Ugo Ugochukwu Orlandi (born April 23, 2007) is an American racing driver. He currently competes in the Formula Regional European Championship with Prema Racing . He previously finished third in the F4 British Championship racing for Carlin and was runner-up in the 2023 Italian F4 Championship for Prema.[ 1] [ 2]
He is a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme .[ 3]
Career
Karting
Ugochukwu began his karting career in America, winning the Micro ROK Cup USA in 2014 and the Florida Winter Tour in 2015 before moving to Italy to compete in European championships.[ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] 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.[ 4] [ 8] In 2020 he took victory in the FIA OK-Junior European Karting Championship .[ 3] [ 9]
Ugochukwu driving at the Red Bull Ring during the 2022 Italian F4 Championship
In 2021 Ugochukwu took part in an F4 testing program with Motopark , including tracks like Estoril and Oschersleben .[ 10] [ 11] 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.[ 12] On the day of his first weekend, when Ugochukwu turned 15 which allowed him to be eligible to race in Formula 4 , the American took his first pole position.[ 13] 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.[ 6] [ 14]
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.[ 6] [ 14] [ 15]
Ugochukwu driving at the Mugello Circuit during the 2023 Italian F4 Championship
He remained with Prema for 2023 competing in the Formula 4 UAE Championship and Italian F4 Championship .[ 14] In the UAE championship he took five wins en route to third in the standings.[ 16] In the Italian championship he became vice-champion after fighting Kacper Sztuka for the title until the final round at Vallelunga Circuit .[ 17] [ 18] In 2023 Ugochukwu also became the first champion of the new Euro 4 Championship .[ 19]
Ugochukwu driving at the Hungaroring during the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship
In 2024 Ugochukwu will remain with Prema Racing to compete in the Formula Regional European Championship .[ 20]
Ugochukwu took part in post-season testing of the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship with Rodin Carlin .[ 21] He will also compete in the non-championship Macau Grand Prix with Trident .[ 22] [ 23]
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.[ 3] [ 6] [ 9]
In May 2024, McLaren Formula E Team announced that Ugochukwu and Grégoire Saucy will drive for the team at the official rookie test at the Berlin ePrix .[ 24]
Personal life
Ugochukwu is the son of Nigerian model Oluchi Onweagba and Italian fashion designer Luca Orlandi.[ 7] [ 25] [ 26]
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
ANG QH4
ANG R5
GEN QH45
GEN RDNQ
KRI QH35
KRI RDNQ
LEM QH7
LEM R3
8th
38
2020
KR Motorsport
OKJ
ZUE QH13
ZUE R 2
1st
65
Sauber Karting Team
SAR QH1
SAR R 1
WAC QH1
WAC R (2)
2021
KR Motorsport
OK
GEN QH13
GEN R10
AUB QH7
AUB R7
SAR QH10
SAR R8
ZUE QH22
ZUE R35
7th
28
Racing record
Racing career summary
* Season still in progress.
† Driver participated as a guest driver and was thus ineligible to score points.
Complete F4 British Championship results
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Italian F4 Championship results
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
*Season still in progress.
† 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.[ 32]
Complete F4 UAE Championship results
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Euro 4 Championship results
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Macau Grand Prix results
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete GB3 Championship results
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
* Season still in progress.
(key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
References
^ "#3 Ugo Ugochukwu | Driver | Prema Racing" . www.premaracing.com . Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
^ "ROKiT F4 British Championship Certified by FIA 2022 | Championships | Driver Database" . www.driverdb.com . Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
^ a b c "McLaren Racing - McLaren Racing signs agreement with rising karting star Ugo Ugochukwu" . www.mclaren.com . Retrieved 2022-05-01 .
^ a b "Ugo Ugochukwu :: ADD Management" . www.addmanagement.co.uk . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ Waring, Bethonie (2022-08-22). "Podcast: Ugo Ugochukwu on British F4 and being a McLaren junior" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ a b c d "Ugo Ugochukwu" . www.mclaren.com . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ a b Series, Feeder (2022-08-03). "Who is McLaren junior and American F1 hopeful Ugo Ugochukwu?" . Feeder Series . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ "About me - Ugo Ugochuckwu" . 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ a b "McLaren sign teenage karting revelation Ugo Ugochukwu to support American youngster's career | News | McLaren | F1 | Sky Sports" . www.skysports.com . Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
^ "McLaren's Ugo Ugochukwu to debut in British F4 with Carlin" . Formula Scout . 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2022-05-01 .
^ mdr.de. "Nachwuchs auf der Piste in Oschersleben | MDR.DE" . www.mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-05-01 .
^ "Ugo Ugochukwu joins Carlin for 2022 F4 British Championship - automobilsport.com" . www.automobilsport.com . Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-01 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link )
^ Ugo Ugochukwu Donington Park British F4 pole position , retrieved 2022-05-01
^ a b c Waring, Bethonie (2022-12-07). "McLaren junior Ugochukwu makes full-time Italian F4 move with Prema" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ Wood, Ida (2022-08-03). "McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu signed by Prema for ADAC F4 debut" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ Wood, Ida (2023-02-19). "Wharton becomes F4 UAE champion after crash with title rival Taponen" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ "Formula4 Italian Championship - Certified by FIA WSK Promotion Official Site- Ugo Ugochukwu wins Race 1 and keeps the title fight alive" . www.f4championship.com . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ Allen, Peter (2023-10-15). "Champion Sztuka takes dominant ninth win in Italian F4 finale" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ Allen, Peter (2023-10-22). "Ugochukwu claims Euro 4 title after winning Barcelona decider" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ Allen, Peter (2023-11-03). "Ugo Ugochukwu to make Formula Regional move with Prema" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ "Formula 3 action resumes at Barcelona post-season testing" . FIAFormula3® - The Official F3® Website . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ MotorSport, Trident. "Trident Motorsport parteciperà al Gran Premio di Macao" . Trident Motorsport (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ Wood, Ida (2023-10-24). "Stanek, 2019 winner Verschoor and Ugochukwu join Trident for Macau" . Formula Scout . Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ "Saucy and Ugochukwu set for Rookie Test outing with NEOM McLaren" . Formula E . May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024 .
^ "Ugo Ugochukwu parents: Who be di parents behind di 13 year old McLaren signing | BBC News Pidgin" . www.bbc.com/pidgin (in Nigerian Pidgin). Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
^ "13-Year-Old Ugo Ugochukwu Is America's Next Great F1 Hopeful" . Autoweek . 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2023-11-04 .
^ "Ugo Ugochukwu | Racing career profile | Driver Database" . www.driverdb.com . Retrieved 2022-05-04 .
^ kartcom (2016-02-05). "Ugochukwu Ugo" . Retrieved 2022-05-04 .
^ "Ugo Ugochukwu | Career Overview" . www.driverdb.com . Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
^ "Calendario e risultati 2022 | Italian F.4 Championship | ACI Sport" . www.acisport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
^ "Calendario e risultati 2023 | Italian F.4 Championship | ACI Sport" . www.acisport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
^ "Arvid Lindblad vince gara 1 a Monza | Notizie | Italian F.4 Championship | ACI Sport" . www.acisport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-08-09 .
External links