UGOCHUKWU COLLECTS FIRST PODIUM OF THE 2024 SEASON
With the 2024 season officially underway, the gates of the YAS Marina Circuit opened to welcome the drivers of the 2024 Formula Regional Middle East Championship grid, all very excited to get back behind the wheel after what seems to be a very long break.
American young star Ugo Ugochuckwu spent the first days of the past week on track for pre-season testing, before jumping straight into the Free Practice session for the first Round of the Formula Regional Championship.
After a very successful 2023 season, the McLaren junior’s intentions for the new year have been set quite clearly, since the moment he got out of the pits just a few days ago, clocking in the first few laps with Team Mumbai Falcons.
Showing very promising pace in the Free Practice at start of the weekend, the 16-year-old went on to score a promising P7 and P2 in the qualifying sessions of the first Round on Friday.
Despite clocking in some of the fastest times in qualy and starting Race 1 from the fourth row, Ugochuckwu encountered some issues right at the start of the race, and fell to the back of the grid. With the determination and stamina that characterizes him since the start of his single seater career, the New Yorker was able to fight back and cross the line in P16.
With a reverse-grid order putting the 2022 British F4 Rookie champion in sub-optimal conditions to fight for a win, Ugochukwu was able to keep focused and put in a brilliant drive, gaining several positions and scoring a solid P12 finish in Race 2.
It was although the last race of the weekend, who saw the young driver of Team Mumbai Falcons in his best shape, starting from the front row in the grid. After a very intense start which saw Norwegian Stenshorn taking over P2, the driver of car number 3 was able to defend from a hard charging Tukka Taponen, putting in a brilliant defensive drive and earning a first podium finish of the 2024 season.
With the next round of the Formula Regional Middle East Championship coming up in just a few days, make sure to tune in on the Championship’s Live Streams on YouTube, and follow the action of the upcoming rounds!
Photo credits: Joan Codina
