Mission accomplished. Pole position, victory in the qualifying race, and first place in the final: Ugo Ugochukwu dominated the 71st edition of the Macau Grand Prix, an event reserved for single-seaters and, for the first time, open to the Tatuus cars of Formula Regional. The 17-year-old talent, born in New York to an Italian father, Luca Orlandi—former driver and prominent businessman in the fashion industry—and a Nigerian mother, model Oluchi Onweagba, sealed what is so far the most significant victory of his career.
After a lackluster season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (11th with the Prema team), Ugochukwu managed to bounce back in Macau with a weekend to remember, marked by constant drama, red flags, and safety cars. The young driver’s only mistake came in Friday’s Q2 when he hit the barriers. Despite damage to the rear-left suspension, the R-Ace GP team managed to repair the car in record time, allowing Ugo to return to the track and deliver an impeccable pace for the remainder of the weekend.
Danish driver Oliver Goethe, backed by two years of Formula 3 experience and representing MP Motorsport, tried to put pressure on the American but to no avail. Goethe had shone in the first qualifying session under the rain, securing provisional pole, but he ultimately had to surrender to Ugochukwu’s superiority both in the qualifying race and in the final. The circuit’s long straight, which is famously conducive to overtaking thanks to slipstreaming, wasn’t enough to threaten the American’s lead. For Goethe, who will make the leap to Formula 2 with MP Motorsport in 2025, the weekend still proved positive.
Mexican driver Noel Leon, from the KCMG Pinnacle team, claimed the third step on the podium. The 2023 Euroformula champion and standout in Formula 3 with Van Amersfoort, Leon showed consistent growth, achieving an important result. Alongside Ugochukwu, he will return to compete with Prema in 2025, partnered with Brando Badoer.
It was also a strong performance for Enzo Deligny, a French driver and Red Bull Junior, who finished in fourth place. Deligny impressed with his consistency, especially considering that this was his first race in Macau. After an underwhelming 2024 season in the Formula Regional European (12th place), his performance over the weekend was a breath of fresh air.
Freddie Slater, the Italian Formula 4 champion, experienced a bitter ending. After a solid race, he attempted a pass at the Lisboa corner on the penultimate lap, hit the barriers, and said goodbye to a podium finish. It was an unfortunate outcome, but the British driver still showed great potential.
It was a challenging weekend for Prema drivers Dino Beganovic and Alexander Dunne, who were caught up in incidents during Q2, leaving them in the middle of the pack. Both managed to climb positions in the final race, finishing eighth and tenth, respectively.
Notable mention goes to Mari Boya’s spectacular comeback, starting from the back of the grid (27th) and finishing ninth. Cooper Webster ended seventh after starting from 15th, while Valerio Rinicella finished 13th despite late-race contact.
The race was marked by several incidents, starting with a red flag right after the start. James Wharton, attempting to overtake De Palo, hit the barriers and involved multiple drivers, including Giltaire and Kanato Le. The incident effectively eliminated the entire ART team from the competition.
Following post-race technical inspections, the PHM team cars driven by Matteo De Palo, who finished fifth, and Rashid Al Dhaheri, who placed sixth, were found to be non-compliant with technical regulations and were subsequently disqualified.
The team’s third car, driven by Ruiqi Liu, was not subjected to inspection as it had retired early due to an incident. Reportedly, the irregularity did not impact the performance of the two drivers, who had otherwise enjoyed a brilliant weekend in Macau, but it was caused by an oversight or negligence by the PHM team. Specifically, the two Tatuus cars lacked protective mesh on their radiators—a seemingly minor detail but one that leaves no room for interpretation given the clear stipulations of the rulebook.
The 71st edition of the Macau Grand Prix has crowned Ugo Ugochukwu as one of the brightest young talents on the international stage. Supported by the R-Ace GP team, the American driver demonstrated maturity, speed, and exceptional talent, laying the groundwork for a standout 2025 season in Formula 3. Once again, the Macau circuit delivered unique thrills, confirming its status as a vital proving ground for the future stars of motorsport.
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