UGOCHUKWU FIGHTS FOR TITLE CONTENTION AT MUGELLO
A very positive Round 6 of the 2023 F4 Italian Championship sees Ugo Ugochukwu score three podiums, taking home an additional 54 points and keeping his gap to Lindblad and Sztuka, the other two drivers still in mathematical contention for the title, very much closable.
The American, aware of still having a chance to grasp the Championship’s title, went full-out since the first day on the hills of the beautiful Tuscan circuit of Mugello, going fastest in the second free practice session of the day on Friday, after a solid P5 conquered in his first outing.
As the time to go out for qualifying came, Ugo unveiled the full power of his Prema Racing car to chase down pole positions, and ended both of the morning sessions within the Top 3, as Poleman and championship contender Sztuka ensured a triple pole-start for the upcoming races. With a clear target to never leave Sztuka’s slipstream, the McLaren Junior set his eyes on a potential victory in Race 1, set to start in the afternoon.
With his Finnish teammate Tukka Taponen stalling right at the front of the pack, the young American in car number 3 took off from the starting line and immediately engaged with a tight battle with Aussie Pradel for second position. Yellow flags were eventually displayed, as Quintarelli found himself stranded on the gravel, and the race was neutralized. As the safety car pulled into pit-lane, and Sztuka very slowly led the pack towards a rolling restart, Ugochukwu stuck to the back of Pradel’s car and was able to take over the second position, which he finally maintained until the end of the race, scoring the first of the three podiums of the weekend.
As Race 2 unfolded, the 16-year-old from New York took advantage of a brilliant P2 start to chase down Leader Kacper Sztuka once again, racing at the top of the field the whole time. A safety car caused by the arrest of Aurelia Nobels’ car in the gravel neutralized the race once again. and the leader of the race found himself with a very determined Ugochukwu hunting him down the turn at San Donato, as soon as the race was resumed. The two battled their way until the chequered flag dropped, crowning the Pole as ultimate winner of the second race, with Ugo right on his tail in second.
The third race of the weekend saw the three championship title contenders battling it out for the last few points of the weekend, and with them also the championship lead. The New Yorker profited of every single minute at his disposal, to try and snatch the third win from the new leader of the championship, Us Racing’s Sztuka, but there was little the American could do. For the third time in the same weekend, he was eventually rewarded with a silver medal.
A triple podium at Mugello keeps Ugochukwu right up there within the Top 3 of the overall Championship standings, making of the last round in Vallelunga, going down between the 13th-15th of October just outside of the eternal city of Rome, the last chance to snatch the title from Englishman Lindblad and the dominant Kacper Sztuka.
Don’t miss out on the last round of the season, and head back to the F4 Italian Championship’s official YouTube channel, to watch the past weekend’s races.
