17-year-old Ugo Ugochukwu has made history as the first Nigerian-American to win the Macau Grand Prix in over 40 years.
The son of Nigerian supermodel Oluchi Onweagba and Italian fashion designer Luca Orlandi, Ugo also clinched the 2024 FIA FR World Cup, marking a significant milestone in his racing career.
Driving for R-ace GP, Ugo dominated the race, leading from start to finish and leaving competitors like Olivier Goethe from MP Motorsport and Noel León from KCMG IXO by Pinnacle Motorsport far behind.
Overjoyed with his victory, Ugo expressed his gratitude:
I can’t describe the feeling, of course I’m super happy. It was quite a tricky race, I was pushing the whole way, but I was confident in the pace – ever since Q2 we’ve been really quick, of course we won the Quali race as well, but there was still one more thing to do which was win the main race, and we managed to do it. I can’t thank the R-ace GP team enough – we had a great weekend and yeah, super happy to finally get the job done.
Dubbed the next Lewis Hamilton, the legendary British racer, Ugo is already carving a path of his own.
Watch highlights of the race below:
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Who is Ugo Ugochukwu?
Ugo Ugochukwu, a Nigerian-American driver born on April 23, 2007, in New York, USA, is the son of former Nigerian queen, Oluchi Onweagba.
He embarked on his racing career in 2014, competing in the Micro ROK Cup USA, where he won his first American championship title. His impressive performances continued with two more American championships in 2014 and 2015.
In 2016, Ugo expanded his reach to European racing, securing second place in the Mini ROK Cup and Mini 60 Italian Championship. The following year, he marked a breakthrough by winning the Mini X30 IAME All Star Finals and the IAME International X30 Mini Cup, solidifying his position on the global stage.
Ugo’s dominance continued in 2018 with a Junior ROK-Challenge of the Americas championship title and a vice-championship finish in the Junior ROK – Florida Winter Tour. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ugo’s focus remained unwavering. That year, he became the first member of the McLaren F1 Racing Team’s Junior driver program, securing second place in the OK Junior Champions of the Future Championship and winning the OK Junior FIA European Championship.
Before transitioning to single-seater racing in 2022 with Carlin Racing in the British F4 Championship, Ugo ended his karting career on a high note, finishing second in the OK Senior WSK Euro Series in 2021. His journey exemplifies determination and a promising future in motorsport.