The iconic Mugello Circuit was the battlefield for the opening round of the first-ever season of the Euro 4 Championship. The brand new F4-level series by ACI Sport and WSK visited Tuscany for the first of its three scheduled rounds, with 26 drivers ready to fight for the title. One of them is Prema’s Ugo Ugochukwu, the young American currently sitting atop the standings in Euro 4 after two wins in Mugello, and he also sits in second in Italian F4 behind teammate Arvid Lindblad. Feeder Series spoke to the Prema driver right after his race 1 win in Euro 4 about the new championship and his Italian F4 campaign.

By Daniele Spadi

On what was a scorching weekend in Mugello, Ugochukwu delivered a fantastic performance. The American took home two wins in the opening two races of the championship, emerging from the Italian weekend as the championship leader after finishing in second place in race 3. 

“It was a great race,” he told Feeder Series after claiming victory in race 1, highlighted by a spectacular battle with US Racing’s Kacper Sztuka. “I started from P3 and I got a really good start, so I managed to get into P2, and then I was trying to challenge for most of the race, but it was very difficult to overtake. On the last lap, I was able to make a move and take the win. Overall I’m feeling really happy, the car was really good and the pace was good as well.”

In Mugello, the 16-year-old started his third championship campaign in 2023. After competing in F4 UAE earlier this year, where the Prema driver ended up in third place after fighting for the title throughout the season, the American is currently challenging for the Italian F4 title as well. 

“I’m excited. Another fresh start, and I got off really well with a win. Again, it’s going to be important to stay consistent throughout the year, and just try to pick up as many points as possible.”

An intense season

Because the Euro 4 calendar only has three rounds scheduled to take place, Ugochukwu’s brilliant start means so much more, and his twenty-point lead over teammate James Wharton shows it. Though the 16-year-old showed great adaptation skills, he was lucky enough to start his championship campaign on a track that he knows quite well, as he raced around Mugello in Italian F4 in 2022.

“I definitely enjoy driving around here in Mugello. It’s a really technical circuit with a lot of high-speed corners where it’s difficult to put a lap together in quali,” he told Feeder Series. “[It’s] also quite harsh on the tyres, so it’s important just to keep the tyres alive throughout the race. I enjoy racing around here.”

Despite such a good start to the season, Ugochukwu’s lead could well and truly be threatened in the final round in Barcelona thanks to the championship’s exciting rule change for the last race weekend of the season. In fact, all three races on Spanish territory will award double points due to them being part of the season finale, a new aspect that drivers will need to factor in when preparing for that weekend. 

“I think it’s cool, something different. It obviously means that Barcelona is going to be absolutely crucial for the championship, and it’s going to be important to of course perform well throughout the whole season, but especially in Barcelona, to pick up as many points as possible.”

Another championship up for grabs

However, Ugochukwu still has the Italian F4 Championship to focus on. With two wins and four additional podiums in the opening 12 races, the Prema driver currently sits in second place in the drivers’ standings, 78.5 points behind Arvid Lindblad. The young American is happy about his maiden campaign in one of the most prestigious F4 championships in the world, but he still thinks there are many aspects to improve on.

“It’s been going quite well. Of course, you always want to do better. I’m currently P2 in the championship, but there’s still a long way to go, and as we’ve seen the pace is really good. I think we just need to keep focusing and just keep doing my best each race.”

Ugochukwu is not a rookie, as he raced in selected rounds of Italian F4 last season as soon as he turned sixteen. He impressed everyone in those races, claiming four podiums in six races and never failing to finish outside of the top six and securing a full-time drive for the current season. However, he opened up about the difficulties of learning the F4 car, the differences between single-seaters and karting and the general factors to keep in mind when understanding F4 machinery. 

“Definitely the racing is a little bit different compared to karting. The aero wash makes it sometimes a little bit difficult to follow, so you have to size up your moves a little bit differently. Also, tyre management is important to get a little bit of knowledge around, which I think is something I’ve learned, and I feel like I have the experience now for when I get into the races.”

High-quality support

To race in Italian F4 and Euro 4 is one thing, but to do so with Prema, the most successful team on the feeder series ladder in recent history, is another. After making his Italian F4 debut with them at the Red Bull Ring in 2022, the American stuck with the Italian outfit for the 2023 season, and this seems to have been the right decision.

“It’s been great to work with Prema,” Ugochukwu told Feeder Series. “I joined [at the] end of last year and we’ve been working really well since then, the relationship kept building throughout the year. I think it’s a really good team, they have a lot of experience and I can learn a lot from them.”

Other than his current team, Ugochukwu already has the backing of a Formula 1 team as well. After being recruited in March of 2021, the American is a member of the McLaren Driver Development programme. The 16-year-old is in great company there, as the other two drivers who are currently part of the said programme are Indycar star and 2021 champion Álex Palou and McLaren protégé Pato O’Ward.

“It’s crucial,” Ugochukwu said when asked about the meaning of the British team’s support at this stage of his career. “McLaren is such a prestigious team in F1, and it’s great to be supported by them. They always want me to do my best on track, and they support me on and off the circuit.”

Header photo credit: ACI Sport