Ugochukwu aiming to keep extending championship lead ahead of return to racing

Ugo Ugochukwu is keen to continue fighting for wins and podiums as the season prepares to get back underway in Monte Carlo.

The Campos Racing driver started the year in supreme form, winning the Melbourne Feature Race – his maiden victory in FIA Formula 3.

Ugochukwu is getting ready for the Spielberg in-season test next week, and before he reflected on the opening weekend of the year, he expressed his excitement at jumping back into the car.

“It's been a long break,” joked Ugochukwu. “It was a nice few weeks, but I think after a while you start to miss the feeling of being in the car and the competition.

“So I am definitely looking forward to getting back to it and really looking forward to the next round in Monaco. Melbourne was obviously in the past, but it was still a cool experience winning your first race in F3 and performing so well across the weekend.

“It was really special to get my first win in F3 and it was also the perfect way to start the season, we really hit the ground running as a team.

“The weekend even exceeded our own expectations, so that was a good start. But we have to keep pushing because it's a long season ahead. So, that definitely gives us a lot of confidence going into the next rounds.

“The goal is to hit the ground running again once the season gets more intense and keep bringing home wins and podiums.”

Before the competition restarts, Ugochukwu and the rest of the paddock will be heading to Spielberg for testing.

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The 19-year-old says those two days will be incredibly key to getting back into the swing of things before a hectic period of the season, where there will be six rounds in two months.

“The Red Bull in-season test is definitely going to be very important,” continued Ugochukwu. “It’s about getting a feel for the car again for everybody.

“I think probably with the time off, there's been a little bit more preparation and sim work, but it's always good to actually get back into the car. I think that's going to be a good warmup and to be on top of everything before hitting Monaco.”

Previewing his weekend at the Principality and the start of the European season, Ugochukwu is keen to keep his place at the top.

“It's going to be really important to start well,” added Ugochukwu. “I think obviously Monaco is the one where everyone wants to do well.

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“It's a really special race weekend on the calendar. It's obviously a really good thing if you perform well there, so Monaco is going to be fun.

“I'm looking forward to it. It's very challenging, but it'll be nice to have a good result there.

“Of course that's only one round out of the many more we have left. So the main thing is going to be consistent through all the rounds and ideally try to extend the championship lead.”