Ugo Ugochukwu, the Formula 3 championship leader, received his first taste of Formula 1 machinery during an Alpine private test. It would appear that there was a bump along the way.<\/p>\n
Footage has emerged on social media which appears to show Ugochukwu losing control of the Alpine A525 at Monza, home of the Italian Grand Prix, and finding the wall. Ugochukwu is not currently associated to any Formula 1 team, following his departure from the McLaren academy.<\/p>\n
Ugo Ugochukwu Alpine test crash footage emerges<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Ugochukwu has been in fine form across the early rounds of the 2026 Formula 3 season. Six points clear at the top of the Drivers\u2019 standings, the American prospect also tops our own best and fairest table<\/a> for F3 2026 so far.<\/p>\n The 19-year-old made the podium in Barcelona, before heading to Monza for a huge opportunity with Alpine.<\/p>\n In what was Ugochukwu\u2019s first time driving an F1 car, the New York City native got behind the wheel of Alpine\u2019s A525, used during their 2025 season.<\/p>\n However, footage emerged on social media which shows Ugochukwu apparently spinning out through the Ascari chicane and finding the tyre barrier.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 El accidente de Ugo Ugochukwu\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 ayer (19 a\u00f1os, l\u00edder de la F3) con un Alpine de TPC en Monza\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9<\/p>\n Era su primera vez en un F1. #F1<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/GMioyFXQI0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Alpine Club (@alpineclub_esp) June 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The barrier, combined with the gravel, did its job in seemingly creating a low-impact incident for the teenager.<\/p>\n As Ugochukwu\u2019s test was a private TPC [Testing of Previous Cars], the Enstone-based squad did not comment when approached by PlanetF1.com. <\/p>\n Ugochukwu is not currently associated with the Alpine Academy.<\/p>\n He joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme in 2021, but departed in November 2025.<\/p>\n Ugochukwu was asked by PlanetF1.com, ahead of the 2026 F3 season getting underway, why he and McLaren had gone their separate ways.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cWe just didn\u2019t really go together, let\u2019s say, so decided to mutually step away.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m in a good place this year to have more opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Alpine from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso tipped for stunning Alpine return in final F1 contract twist<\/a><\/p>\n Christian Horner Alpine deal ruled out as Renault protects team control<\/a><\/p>\n Ugochukwu began his 2026 by claiming the Formula Regional Oceania title, a championship won last year by current Racing Bulls F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad.<\/p>\n \u201cI already had a good start to the year in Oceania, so I\u2019m aiming to have a good year in F3 and open the door to other options,\u201d Ugochukwu concluded.<\/p>\n Ugochukwu, racing with Campos, tops the F3 2026 standings after three rounds, six points ahead of teammate Theophile Nael.<\/p>\n This Ugochukwu\u2019s second F3 season, he won the Melbourne feature race, his first victory in the category.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n Read next \u2013 F1 Fast Track: Ferrari\u2019s Rafael Camara arrives as social media rumours silenced<\/a><\/p>\n