CTFROT | 2026 | Round 1 | Hampton Downs

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Louis Sharp claimed victory in the opening race of the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT) at Hampton Downs, converting a strong start into a controlled lights-to-flag win. Despite sustained pressure from polesitter Ugo Ugochukwu throughout the race, Sharp defended effectively to secure the first win of the season, with Kanato Le completing the podium.

Ugochukwu on pole for Race 1

After topping the timesheets in Practice 1 on Friday, Ugo Ugochukwu continued his strong form by setting a 1:29.267 in Qualifying 1 to secure pole position for the opening race of the New Zealand Championship. He will start alongside Louis Sharp, who claimed second with a 1:29.274 and missed pole by just 0.007 seconds.

Freddie Slater secured third with a 1:29.496 and will share the second row with Kanato Le. Ryan Wood, who set the fastest time on Friday, qualified fifth and remained firmly in contention despite narrowly missing the top four. Jin Nakamura took sixth, with Zack Scoular starting seventh, ahead of James Wharton and Yevan David. Ernesto Rivera completed the top ten after posting a 1:29.844 in qualifying.

Outside the top ten, Yuanpu Cui qualified 11th with a 1:29.852, followed by Jack Taylor in 12th, Nolan Allaer in 13th and Sebastian Manson in 14th. Fionn McLaughlin secured 15th. Kalle Rovanperä qualified 16th with a 1:30.307, ahead of Cooper Shipman in 17th and Ricardo Baptista in 18th. Trevor LaTourrette completed the 19-car grid in 19th.

Sharp claims the lead after a strong start

As the lights went green at 12:25 local time, the field completed a clean formation lap, with Ugochukwu leading the pack. However, at the start, Sharp launched off the line and immediately moved across to defend against Ugochukwu, seizing the early advantage.

Meanwhile, Kanato Le made a strong getaway, overtaking Slater, while Nakamura passed Wood to claim fifth. By the second lap, Wood regained a position from Slater. At the same time, Wharton fell to tenth, and at the back, Baptista and LaTourrette briefly swapped positions before settling into their respective battles.

Tight fights and Push-to-Pass

As the race progressed, Sharp controlled the pace at the front, yet Ugochukwu remained close, trailing by only 0.226 seconds by Lap 4. In contrast, Le gradually slipped behind the leading duo, while Scoular climbed to sixth but came under investigation for earlier overtakes on David and Rivera.

Shortly after, Slater reclaimed sixth from Scoular on Lap 6. Meanwhile, Rovanperä struggled after starting 16th, slipping further down the order. Although Ugochukwu repeatedly deployed Push-to-Pass to close the gap, Sharp defended resolutely, preventing any attempts to overtake. Simultaneously, Wood pressured Nakamura for fourth and finally passed him on Lap 11, only for Nakamura to respond immediately using Push-to-Pass. As a result, both the front and mid-field battles remained highly competitive, keeping the outcome uncertain.

Sharp claims victory; Shipman runs off

Entering the final stages, Ugochukwu narrowed the gap to Sharp to under three tenths of a second. However, a brief lock-up cost him momentum, allowing Sharp to maintain his lead. At the same time, Race Control issued Rovanperä a 10-second penalty for an earlier incident, which pushed him further down the order.

Meanwhile, Kanato Le successfully resisted a late challenge from Wood to secure third. Unfortunately, Cooper Shipman suffered opposite fortunes, running off track in the closing laps. Fortunately, he emerged from the car unharmed but was taken to the medical centre as protocol. Despite this setback, the leaders pressed on, ensuring a tense finish for the front-runners.

Ultimately, Louis Sharp crossed the line to take the first victory of the 2026 season. Ugo Ugochukwu finished second after an assertive but unsuccessful challenge, while Kanato Le held on to complete the podium.