As the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship hits its midpoint, PREMA Racing’s Ego Ugochukwu, finds himself in P23 in the Drivers’ Standings, level on points with teammate Noel León after outscoring him in Imola. It’s been a tough first half of the campaign for the American rookie, who joined the series with the support of the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
Ugochukwu made the step up to F3 with high hopes, joining PREMA—one of the most successful teams in junior single-seaters. But the opening five rounds have proved difficult, not only for him but for the entire PREMA line-up. Remarkably, Ugochukwu is the highest-placed of the trio in the standings, underlining the team’s struggles this season.
Round 1 in Melbourne
The season began with promise. Ugochukwu impressed on debut by qualifying P8 in Melbourne. He started the Sprint Race from the third row but dropped back to finish P12. In the Feature Race, he slipped down the order again but secured P10—earning a point on his first F3 weekend, a solid start by any measure.
Round 2 in Bahrain
Bahrain marked the beginning of a challenging run. Ugochukwu could only manage P21 in qualifying. The Sprint Race ended prematurely after contact with teammate Badoer, and things did not improve in the Feature Race, where he finished P27 after struggling for pace.
Round 3 in Imola
Imola brought some much-needed redemption. Ugochukwu qualified P7 and lined up P6 for the Sprint Race. Though he lost positions, he still picked up points with a P8 finish. The Feature Race was less fruitful, as he ended up P14, but it remained his most productive weekend to date, with three valuable points added to his tally.
Round 4 in Monaco
In Monaco’s unique split-qualifying format, Ugochukwu triggered a brief yellow flag after running wide at Sainte Dévote but recovered to take P14 on the grid. He improved to P13 in the Sprint Race and finished P16 in the Feature after cutting the Nouvelle Chicane. It was a relatively clean weekend, but the results did not quite reflect the effort.
Round 5 in Spain
A deleted lap time due to track limits relegated Ugochukwu to P24 in Spanish qualifying. Nevertheless, he fought back to P17 in the Sprint Race and made further gains in the Feature Race, crossing the line in P20. It was not a points haul, but it showed determination and composure in recovery drives.
An average season for Ugochukwu
Despite some good results in Melbourne and Imola, and an average finish in Monaco, Ugochukwu has yet to show complete consistency. This has meant that the American finds himself in P23 in the Championship.
While the results have fluctuated, Ugochukwu has shown flashes of potential—particularly in Melbourne and Imola. He’s yet to find consistent form, but in the context of PREMA Racing’s broader struggles, his performance has been respectable. Both of his teammates trail him in the standings, and he’s demonstrated slightly more consistency over the first five rounds.
Undeniably, Ugocukwu’s best race has to be labelled as Imola, where he accumulated 3 points. Though level with León on four points, Ugochukwu reached that total quicker—further proof of his potential when things go right.
As the season heads into its second half, there’s still plenty of opportunity for the American to climb the standings. If PREMA can improve its overall performance, Ugochukwu could well be in a position to capitalise. His pace in qualifying and flashes of race craft suggest there’s more to come.
