McLaren junior wins prestigious Macau Grand Prix to join list of iconic victors

McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu has won the Macau Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious races on the junior ladder.

Having already taken victory in the qualifying race on Saturday, the American became the first driver from the United States since Bob Earl in 1981 to win around the fearsome Guia Circuit, with the race having finished under Safety Car conditions in Macau.

McLaren junior Ugo Ugochuwku wins the Macau Grand Prix

With Saturday’s qualifying race having set the grid for Sunday’s main event, 17-year-old Ugochukwu led the pack away from pole under a Safety Car start and, when the green flag was shown, he held Red Bull junior Oliver Goethe, who has made the step up to Formula 2 at the last two rounds, at bay.

A significant pile-up took place at the right-handed Lisboa corner on the first racing lap after Australian youngster James Wharton collided with the tyre barrier, with cars unsighted as they took the turn and several others forced to stop behind him on the tight streets of Macau.

A lengthy red flag followed before the action could get underway again at the Guia Circuit, but only one more lap could take place before the Safety Car was out when the race restarted, with Liu Ruiqi making contact with the barriers.

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The McLaren junior kept Goethe at arm’s length throughout the green flag periods, leading from lights to flag to take victory from Goethe and Mexican Formula 3 driver Noel León, who rounded off the podium.

The Macau Grand Prix has developed a reputation through the years for offering an opportunity to see bright motorsport talents on a global stage, with previous winners of the famous street race having included the likes of Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, David Coulthard, Riccardo Patrese, Ralf Schumacher and many more while they were on their way up the junior ranks.

In recent years, Macau’s Wing Chung Chang won the race in 2022 when it was run to Chinese Formula 4 regulations, and Williams junior Luke Browning took victory in last year’s running of the event, as the FIA Formula 3 World Cup.

Ugochukwu will be joining the Formula 1 support calendar next year, stepping up to FIA Formula 3 with Prema as he looks to progress his promising career.

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