Ugo Ugochukwu and Campos Racing crowned FIA Formula 3 champions in Madrid
The 2026 FIA Formula 3 season could not have ended in better fashion for Campos Racing. At the inaugural running of the Madring circuit as the setting for the final round of an exciting F3 season, the Alzira-based outfit achieved the seemingly impossible in front of its home crowd. On the one hand, Campos Racing successfully defended the Teams’ title it had already secured in 2025, underlining once again the outstanding competitiveness of the team. On the other, Ugo Ugochukwu delivered Campos Racing its first FIA Formula 3 Drivers’ championship, with the American producing a flawless weekend in the Spanish capital. Théophile Naël and Ernesto Rivera, the other two members of the Campos Racing line-up, also played a crucial role, alongside the entire team of engineers and mechanics, in putting the perfect finishing touch to a campaign that has now become part of the successful history of the structure founded by Adrián Campos.
The weekend was absolutely critical, with a new circuit on the calendar that left no room for the slightest mistake, as several incidents throughout the event demonstrated. The fact that three races were scheduled instead of the usual two also meant that nothing could be taken for granted. On Friday, during Free Practice, Ugochukwu showed his strong form around the Madrid track by setting a 1m50.000s lap to finish fourth, ahead of teammate Rivera, who was just two thousandths of a second behind. Naël’s best effort was a 1m50.578s lap.
Friday afternoon, with no fewer than two qualifying sessions and overtaking becoming increasingly difficult, represented another critical stage of the weekend. While Freddie Slater, the championship leader arriving in Madrid and Ugochukwu’s main rival for the title, began to struggle at the Madring, Ugochukwu posted a 1m50.677s lap in Q1 to secure fourth place in the classification. Rivera was seventh with a 1m50.877s effort. Naël was eleventh with a 1m51.108s lap, which nevertheless secured him a front-row starting position for Satuday morning’s Sprint Race.
There was no time to catch a breath before Q2, in which Ugochukwu strengthened his title bid by claiming an outstanding second place with a 1m49.771s lap. Slater, who had failed to make the top 15 in the previous session, improved to eighth, but remained well behind the Campos Racing driver. Rivera was tenth with a 1m50.032s best lap, while Naël was thirteenth with a 1m50.251s effort.
The Sprint Race that opened Saturday saw Naël starting from second on the grid, with James Wharton ahead. Rivera was sixth and Ugochukwu ninth on the reverse grid. As the lights went out, Naël made a sensational getaway to overtake Wharton, who cut the chicane in an attempt to retake the lead but was forced to hand the position back to the Campos Racing Frenchman moments later. Behind them, Rivera and Ugochukwu held sixth and ninth respectively. From then on, and setting a series of fastest laps, Naël not only controlled Wharton but gradually pulled away from the rest of the field. In a race with little position change, Naël led from start to finish and crossed the line almost nine seconds clear of Wharton. Rivera finished sixth and Ugochukwu ninth, scoring crucial points for both the Teams’ and Drivers’ championships.
The first of the Feature Races, with full points on offer, followed in the afternoon over 19 laps. While the morning race had unfolded without incident, the start of the Feature Race was far more chaotic, with half a dozen cars involved in a chain-reaction accident during the opening lap, forcing the race to be red-flagged for around half an hour. At the restart, which took place under a rolling start, Ugochukwu was running fourth, while Rivera and Naël were also inside the points in sixth and ninth respectively. Ugochukwu remained in the slipstream of Tuukka Taponen without needing to take any risks, as Slater was running well down the order and eventually hit the wall towards the closing stages. The fourth-place finish was therefore a strong result for the Campos Racing driver. Rivera and Naël crossed the line eighth and ninth respectively, with the points scored mathematically securing the FIA Formula 3 Teams’ championship for Campos Racing.
The second and decisive Feature Race came early on Sunday, with Ugochukwu and Slater level on points. When the lights went out, Ugochukwu held second place behind Taponen and ahead of Pedro Clerot. Rivera and Naël were running tenth and twelfth respectively in the early stages. The race, also scheduled for 19 laps, developed at a slower pace than the previous day, with the drivers waiting for their opportunities. Ugochukwu remained behind Taponen, always within DRS range, but had no reason to take any unnecessary risks because Slater was running eighth, meaning the Campos Racing driver was mathematically champion. The race developed in a tightly packed train of cars all benefiting from DRS. On lap 16, one of the few overtakes was made by Rivera, who moved into ninth place by passing Yevan David. An accident involving Hiyu Yamakoshi, who went into the wall, brought out the Safety Car, which was withdrawn with just one lap remaining to set up a dramatic finale. But Ugochukwu remained composed, crossing the finish line in second place and being crowned the 2026 FIA Formula 3 champion. Rivera finished ninth, with Naël twelfth.
Ugochukwu finished the championship with 159 points, 14 clear of Slater. Naël ended the season fifth overall with 88 points, while Rivera was seventh with 87 in his debut FIA Formula 3 campaign. In the Teams’ standings, Campos Racing’s dominance was even more impressive, with the Alzira-based outfit collecting 334 points, 117 more than the runner-up, thanks to seven victories, a further seven podium finishes, two pole positions and four fastest laps.
With all its objectives achieved, Campos Racing is celebrating today. Preparations for 2027 will begin immediately, with the target equally ambitious: to defend both championships secured during this historic season.
Ugo Ugochukwu (2026 FIA Formula 3 Champion with Campos Racing): “Knowing that I was in a good position to secure the title gave me confidence, but in a race like this you are never completely relaxed; you think about every detail and how important it is not to make the slightest mistake. We knew qualifying had been the key to the weekend and today was about executing the plan: making a clean start without taking unnecessary risks, managing the tyres and looking after the car on a track that is demanding on the kerbs. It was one of the toughest races of the year because of everything that was at stake, even when I was told over the radio that there would be one final lap after the Safety Car. Crossing the line and confirming the championship is a reflection of the great consistency and flawless work we have delivered together with Campos Racing throughout the season, and I cannot thank the whole team enough for making this possible.”
Adrián Campos (Team Principal of Campos Racing): “It is simply fantastic. To win the FIA Formula 3 Teams’ championship for the second year in a row and, at the same time, secure our first Drivers’ title in the category is something extraordinary. Above all, though, this is the result of an exceptional team effort throughout the entire season. Ugo has produced an incredible championship, showing tremendous consistency and maturity, but I also want to highlight Théophile and Ernesto, because the points they have scored have been fundamental to securing the Teams’ title. And, of course, none of this would be possible without our engineers, mechanics and every single person who makes up Campos Racing. I think we can say that this has been a historic season for the team, and winning these two titles in front of our home crowd in Madrid makes it even more special. Now it is time to enjoy this achievement because we have worked incredibly hard to get here, but we also know that tomorrow the work begins again as we look to defend both championships in 2027.”
