Ugo Ugochukwu raced his way to his first podium in F3 as he grabbed P3 in the Sprint Race at the Austrian GP. Unfortunately, the joy did not last long as the Prema driver was hit with a 10-second penalty after the Sprint race concluded.
After a busy Sprint Race, filled with safety cars, spins, and red flags, the Prema driver did everything to defend his position and grasp onto the podium finish in the last closing laps. The American driver left the last two race weekends without points, making what was supposed to be today’s podium finish all the more important. What was meant to be a milestone for the young driver quickly turned into another sour race.
Considering that he was penalised following the Sprint Race, it bumps him down from a wonderful P3 to a brutal P16 finish. Ugochukwu received a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
The incident that led to the loss of a podium
When speaking to media, including Pit Debrief, Ugo Ugochukwu reflected on the incident with Nikola Tsolov that he was later penalised for. The American driver was asked about taking avoiding action for the incident ahead of him in Turn 3. Additionally, still managing to defend his position from Tsolov behind.
“The first few laps were quite tricky. The race pace was quite good, but we were stuck in a little bit of a DRS train, so it was hard to make much happen. Turn 3 was very chaotic. I just managed to stay out of the mess, avoid the crash, and from there the last few laps, I was just pushing as much as I could.
I was out of the DRS, so I had to make up for it through sector 2 and sector 3. Managed to have just big enough of a gap to defend in the first part of the lap, so that really shows the steps we’ve made, especially in the race pace. It’s a good confidence boost for tomorrow as well, starting from P8. I think we can go forward and try to make more points.”
Although the driver intended to avoid the crash ahead of him by going off the circuit. The FIA concluded that there was sufficient space on the corner exit. Meaning that there was room to avoid the hazard while staying on track. As he rejoined the track ahead of Tsolov, the FIA decided that he had gained a lasting advantage.
Optimistic about the rest of the season
Despite having a tough first season in F3, the American driver tried to remain positive especially considering the team’s development. Ugochukwu currently lies 19th in the F3 championship, however he is hoping for brighter times. The loss of the 8 points he gained today, bumps him further down in the championship. Now, the 18-year old has 4 points in total.
When asked about this being an opportunity to prove what he can do at the front on the field the Prema driver expressed his optimism.
“First thing, quali is super important. From being able to start in the front puts you in a good position for both races, so that was the main thing this weekend. From now, we try to keep this positive momentum, let’s say throughout the whole season. That’s the main thing, be consistent and always at the front in quali.”
He continued on to speak about mentally coping with a tough season, and expressed:
“The team has been really good to be honest. Just working with them, seeing where our weak points were and where out strong points were as well, where we need to improve. I think we’ve applied that really well throughout the year. As we’ve seen, the results are now getting better and better. We’re going to try to maintain that throughout the whole season.
Of course, you always have up and downs, similar for probably a lot of people. It’s a super close championship, so to be at the front in every race is the main thing. There are going to be weekend where we’re slower, quicker, but we just really try to focus on where we can improve and keep looking forward to the next weekend and what we can do better.”
Challenges of the season for Prema
As Ugochukwu only gained points in Melbourne and Imola this season, the 18-year old has been experiencing plenty of struggles. The season has not been easy for the Prema team. All three drivers have been unfortunate to not gain many points.
When asked about the challenges of the season and overcoming them, the American driver remained positive about the team’s progress.
“You have three cars, so I think it’s throwing in a little bit of mystery into the whole grid. No one really knew what to expect at the beginning, and then all the teams are finding their feet and learning more race by race. We’ve definitely made a lot of progress since round one. We’re going to try to build on that and keep these good results until the end of the season.”
Additionally, the Prema driver answered a question regarding the stripped back livery of the car this weekend. He explained it was to help reduce the weight of the car, expressing:
“It was to help on the weight side of things. I was being a little bit disadvantaged through the first part of the year, so this is the first time I’m on equal playing field with the rest. How much it helped, I’m not sure. I think the car also has been in a much better place this weekend. Maybe a little bit of a combination of all the things coming togehter, but definitely we made really good steps this weekend.”
The American driver and the Prema team will hope for better luck tomorrow and the possibility to fight for points. Despite the sour ending of the sprint race, Ugochukwu showed amazing pace and grit. It gives an insight into what the young driver can do when he’s at the front of the field.
