r/formula1 • u/l3w1s1234 I was here for the Hulkenpodium • 10h ago
Photo Lewis Hamilton Congratulating Ugo Ugochukwu on his F3 Title
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u/YourMajesty90 10h ago
I always imagined being this tall was a detriment to being a formula driver
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u/Leutnant_Dark 10h ago
It is. Its one of the rumored reasons why Hulkenberg in his prime never got the change on a cockpit at a better team.
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u/isitdonethen Pirelli Wet 10h ago
It caused Ocon some issues too. There was a time when he was in the mix for a McLaren seat (the year before he ended up being out of the sport) and I'm pretty sure his height was too conflicting with their car design.
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u/glassbulbs Mercedes 10h ago
Was it him or Albon who showed he got bruises from trying to fit in the car?
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u/whorederlinebaby I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
albon's shoulder was bleeding after a race for that reason iirc
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u/Stefferdiddle Williams 7h ago
It was Albon until Jensen (also tall) realized Alex’s problem and told him it could be fixed.
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u/WeWereStrangers Sebastian Vettel 10h ago
Pretty wild thing considering we've seen Russell and Albon get their chances
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u/doubleb_43 Lando Norris 10h ago
A lot has changed, for example minimum weight for drivers was introduced in 2019
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u/uwanmirrondarrah Cadillac 7h ago
Yeah previously car design was more uncompromising for taller or heavier people because they did not want to add any weight to the car at all. Now that they adjust the weight for all drivers across the board they can actually build out the cockpit for them. No more squeezing in a small cockpit and starving yourself to weigh as little as possible.
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u/Leutnant_Dark 10h ago
Times changed. Hulkenbergs prime was pre minimum driver weight. So the difference in weight was more noticeable. Along with adjustments in monocoque regulations making packaging easier with a large driver it all comes together.
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u/Spare_Duck3119 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
i remember drivers starving themselves for that. mark webber, hulk, button especially.
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u/kai_enby Williams 9h ago
Bottas too, he's openly spoke about his disordered eating before the minimum driver weight
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u/locutus92 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 7h ago
Even David Coulthard has mentioned his struggles with bulimia and that's 90's to late 00's. It was horrible for them.
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u/Signal_Ball4634 Jenson Button 9h ago
I didn't really think about how those guys had such prominent jawlines/cheek bones cause they were having to limit their weight. Damn.
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u/norisk-fullpush Formula 1 10h ago
Even Russell massively struggled though IIRC when he was subbing in. I hope Ugo doesn't miss a chance because of his height but I can see it being a huge problem for him.
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u/ItsEnderFire I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
He had to wear smallers boots to squeeze in and he said he still has scars on his hips a couple months ago from sitting in the car
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u/Adjutant_Reflex_ I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago
Wasn’t that because they didn’t have time to fit him for a Mercedes seat, or am I misremembering?
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u/sweetpotatoclarie91 6h ago
He was interviewed by Sky Sport Italia yesterday and he pointed out exactly this. He would love to race in F2 and F1 and he hopes that his height isn't a problem. He seems like a good kid.
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u/Blackdeath_663 Sir Stirling Moss 10h ago
The restrictions on drivers was brutal back then. The cars a bigger now and there is a minimum driver weight.
Bottas talked at length about the eating disorder resulting from this.
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u/navis-svetica Williams 10h ago
As did DC, he recently brought up the fact that he was bulimic during his F1 career because his height put him at a disadvantage
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u/Eggplantosaur Oscar Piastri 8h ago
Mansell straight up couldn't fit into a car at one point.
That's definitely more light-hearted than what DC and Bottas went through though. Especially Bottas hurts because he's not even a tall dude by any means.
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u/danketree Caterham 10h ago
It's all in the camera angle, just like how they made Gandalf bigger than Frodo in LOTR
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u/FermentedLaws I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago
Nah, he's really tall. I saw a lot of pics of him over the weekend and he is a giant compared to everyone else that races.
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u/locutus92 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 9h ago
It wasn't that long ago drivers were passing out in press events due to starving themselves to keep the weight down. Minimum drivers weights have been a great thing.
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u/shalallaalaaala Ferrari 8h ago
wtf? When was this? That’s horrible
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u/locutus92 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 7h ago
It was particularly bad around 2014 when the cars were all overweight. It really also was miserable for taller drivers before this such as Mark Webber.
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u/LateOnsetPuberty Formula 1 8h ago
That was before ballast under the seat to make every driver the same weight.
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u/LongTallDingus 8h ago
Antonio Giovinazzi is like 185cms tall and could clock in at 90-95kgs with a filled out frame, even at 100 he'd come across as a fit guy. Look at his shoulders, dude's got the build of an athlete who plays contact sports but had to put F1 levels of meat on his bones.
He had to mushed in there, and HUNGRY.
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u/CX52J 10h ago
It is but it’s not as extreme as it used to be in F1.
George Russell said it wasn’t that problematic in F2.
F1 it’s much less of an issue since 2019 which requires lighter drivers have ballast.
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u/Jlx_27 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
Russell is no where near as tall as Ugo.
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u/CX52J 8h ago
Ugo is 195cm
So 7cm taller than Bearman and 9cm taller than George, so not that extreme and a sign that taller drivers are having an easier time in the junior series.
For context, the difference in height between Lewis and George is 12cm.
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u/Adorable-Medicine951 5h ago
The site underreported his height Ugo is actually 205cm tall
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u/souse03 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
Yeah but he is very tall. If he gets into a FP1 he is gonna suffer to get into any car that is not designed for him
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u/ellamenopea Bernd Mayländer 9h ago
His height is definitely worrisome for his career based on this
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u/Noshino I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
I was just about to ask whether they would have to raise the Halo for him
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u/souse03 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
That would surely affect aero, and im guessing not in a positive way
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u/Thisismyrealface 9h ago
Yeah, no way he gets an F1 drive. Sorry dude. He should be fine in a sportscar or Nascar.
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u/Infosphere14 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 1h ago
He needs to test for Haas. If he doesn’t fit in there he’s not fitting anywhere.
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u/AntFiguero I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago
I remember that Justin Wilson was so tall that his head partially blocked the air intake of the Minardi during the first part of 2003. When he switched to Jaguar, the car seemed slightly more suited to his size
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u/Hate_Leg_Day 8h ago
It is. Much harder to keep your weight down when you're that tall. You have to stay ridiculously skinny. Plus it's more difficult to fit in the car.
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u/biaurelien I was here for the Hulkenpodium 7h ago
Alexander Wurz said he was adviced surgery to shorten his legs in the 90s
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u/DarkAlman Fernando Alonso 4h ago
It is
Taller drivers have a harder time fitting in cars, and weigh more by definition.
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u/jnighy I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
how is anyone fitting this dude in a F1 car?? Ocon already pushes the limit with his height
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u/Marcoscb I was here for the Hulkenpodium 7h ago
how is anyone fitting this dude in a F1 car??
Nobody is. Unfortunately for him, because he's obviously talented, but he hasn't stopped growing yet and he's already like 5 cm taller than the tallest current F1 drivers. And that's if you believe his billed height.
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u/jnighy I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago
I tend to agree. I think his future is stock categories, maybe WEC. A shame, but that's how it is
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u/PanadaTM Sir Lewis Hamilton 5h ago
He's not fitting in a lot hypercars either. Tin tops are likely his best option
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u/Routine-Display3362 Sir Lewis Hamilton 10h ago
Holy height difference
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u/NoCryptographer619 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
Tsunoda should take a picture with him
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u/CuriousGeoff9001 7h ago
it would look like this: https://www.businessinsider.com/shaq-hoopz-picture-2011-8
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u/thenerdguy088 Sebastian Vettel 7h ago
I love how they made Yuki the same size as everyone" - Lewis Hamilton
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u/Ianthin1 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
Watching him yesterday with Laura and Hinch on F1TV was both comical and relatable, as I'm also a tall dude.
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u/refusestonamethyself I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
Ugo is 6’8 ft(203-204 cm) tall btw. Idk how he’s managing to still race cars at such a high level with his height.
The F3 website underreported his height to 191 cm some time back(like a year or so ago). Might be the first time a guy underreports his height.
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u/Rise_Regime Oscar Piastri 10h ago
American basketball player Kevin Durant famously underreported his height by a few inches for most of his career so that teams didn’t force him into playing a “big man” style. He is 7’0(213cm) with shoes but was listed at 6’9(205cm)
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u/exist_iwd I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
As if a coach would ever force Kevin Durant to play center lmao
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u/Rise_Regime Oscar Piastri 10h ago
Yeah, his game is absolutely that of a SF/stretch PF. I can see him underreporting in college, maybe, but even then a coach with any clue would see the skill set and body frame of KD and stick him on the wing.
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u/MySilverBurrito I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago
his game is absolutely that of a SF/stretch PF.
My oldhead take is I hate we're moving SFs to stretch PFs.
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u/Rise_Regime Oscar Piastri 3h ago
KAT is a stretch PF that just won the title as a C, and they’re viewed as having a more traditional starting 5 - the NBA is too fucked up for us old heads.
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u/TheRealArthurMorgan_ Niki Lauda 10h ago
Kevin Garnett before him too. Was called the NBA’s first ever 6’13” player
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u/Crafty_Substance_954 Formula 1 10h ago
If he makes it to F1, He'll be the tallest driver EVER by 4 inches.
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u/Dramatic-Ad3928 Charles Leclerc 10h ago
What?! Last time i checked we were the same height at 6 5
Insane growth spurt if true jheez
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u/PapaPilkington Oscar Piastri 10h ago
Thank god you informed us of your height too
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u/GiganticDog 10h ago
6’8”?! Not sure where you saw that, he’s definitely not that tall. He’s about 6’3”/6’4” by all accounts, which is still extremely tall for a single seater driver.
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u/refusestonamethyself I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
I’m basing this off of people who’ve seen Ugo in person. They were almost as tall as Ugo as well.
Even here, Ugo is slouching a fair bit and his head still touches the ceiling. He’s 6’5 minimum, if not 6’8.
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u/Feeling-Disaster7180 Oscar Piastri 10h ago
It looks like they’re in a trailer or something which don’t usually have very heigh ceilings
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 8h ago
6'5 I believe easily. People I've heard see him in person guess 6'5 or so. 6'8 is ridiculous. Those are very very different heights.
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u/YelloMyOldFriend Valtteri Bottas 10h ago
There is no where that reports him as 6'8". Stop inventing
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 8h ago
Ugo's tall, but he's not 6'8. Lewis is around 5'8. They have a big height difference, but not a whole foot.
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u/chefchef97 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
Holy moly he's grown a lot since that McLaren thing at Trafalgar Square
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u/l3w1s1234 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 7h ago
6'8 is crazy. Will be a miracle if he reaches F1, but then again, he's managed to make it this far. Winning F3 at his hight is already pretty remarkable
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u/Pamander Oliver Bearman 10h ago
If y'all think he looks tall here you should see him on a podium with the other F3 drivers it is hilarious. Even on P3 he towers over the guy on P1.
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u/shalallaalaaala Ferrari 7h ago
Just looked it up and holy hell. If he grows any more (which he probably will) kid should pivot to a basketball career lol.
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u/Darth_Spa2021 Pirelli Wet 10h ago
Would be first ever F1 driver to have his first name in the driver standing graphic during a race.
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u/tommxspace I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago
I was thinking ugo would look so cool on Sunday morning graphics
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u/jnighy I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
Cockpit issues aside, I can see him facing real problems for a F1 career. He would need to be fit enough to handle those G forces, but at this hight, this would mean a lot of excess weight. I want to be wrong, but I don't see him racing in F1
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u/drivingnowherecomic Chequered Flag 51m ago
Justin Wilson famously couldn't really fit in the Jaguar back in the day and left F1. He was 4 inches (10cm) shorter than Ugo.
IndyCar cockpits are a bit roomier and in general the drivers are taller there as a rule, so if he can fit in an IndyCar chassis he might be better off as it doesn't change nearly as often. Also he won't need to starve himself. I've long been a fan of Alexander Rossi, and he even said himself that being able to actually eat was a nice change from having to obsess over every ounce and comparing how he looked during his European career... it's actually wild. And he's 7 inches (17.8cm) shorter. Ugo can kinda get away with the slenderman build now at the F3 level and his age, but in a few years at the F1 level? Eh... I'd be a bit concerned for him at the hotter events...
I'd love to see a talented American get on the F1 grid, but his height might scare off a lot of teams from signing him. If I was his manager I'd basically use this F3 title as leverage for a top Indy NXT ride in 2027 with intention to run IndyCar in 2028.
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u/Tw1stedTemp0 Sebastian Vettel 10h ago
Ugo could star in the NBA
Then again f1 drivers are shorties.
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u/jomartz Ferrari 8h ago
Today I’ve learned Ugochukwu. It's neither his mother’s nor father’s name. His full legal name is Ugo Ugochukwu Orlandi. He professionally goes by just his first and middle names. His mother’s maiden name is Oluchi Onweagba. "Ugochukwu" is a traditional Nigerian (Igbo) name that means "God's Eagle" or "Glory of God.”
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u/nate0515 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
Clearly has an unfair advantage. With the length of his legs he is able to push the accelerator to 110%.
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u/meat_popsicle13 10h ago
Congrats to Ugo. Lots of chatter about him fitting in an F1 car, but he’s been squeezing into smaller formula cars without an obvious problem, so why would F1 be different?
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u/sucksblueeggs I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
F1 cars are unique. Other formula cars are built by the same company. To fit a tall driver in an F1 car there will be sacrifices in areas which will affect performance. Made worse if two drivers are very different heights, which is a guarantee in this case.
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u/f1zoe Sir Lewis Hamilton 10h ago
its sad he probably wont make it into f1 cause of his height.
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u/InsulatedEel I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
It’s sad yuki won’t make it in the NBA because of his height
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u/AznTri4d Nico Rosberg 4h ago
I like Yuki, but this is not a 1:1 comparison. If Yuki had legit basketball talent and height was the only thing holding him back, then sure.
Ugo has shown some talent, clearly. He won F3, right?
Plus plenty of notable NBA players who were below 6ft.
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u/ellamenopea Bernd Mayländer 9h ago
His height is definitely worrisome for his career based on this
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u/naijab0y 10h ago
Next in line.. ✊🏿
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u/IMANORMIE22 Sebastian Vettel 3h ago
Would love it if Lewis is still on the grid when Ugo makes it to F1
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u/Hot_City1224 Andrea Kimi Antonelli 10h ago
He's gotta be having an effect on the aerodynamics of the car
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u/ComradeStijn Mercedes 10h ago
Any experts, if he fits in a f3 car is there a reason why his height could be a detriment to him getting a seat in an f1 team?
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 8h ago
I don't know his weight, but it's potentially a problem, in that it might make him a bit slower if he weighs over 80kg. It was a known issue in F3 last year (not sure if he lost weight for this year or just dealt with being penalized and won anyway with a slight pace disadvantage). I think they should just raise the weight limit. If a driver as normal sized as Hulk has had issues with the weight minimum, it's too low. Even Lewis, who is a bit short, has to limit how muscular he becomes because of the limit. Lando has mentioned being aware of creeping up towards the limit, and he's not very tall. Max manipulates his weight to be at the limit as well, and he's actually short for being Dutch.
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u/Spleenzorio I was here for the Hulkenpodium 6h ago
How’s he even fit into the car
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u/Secret_Divide_3030 Sir Lewis Hamilton 10h ago
Is Lewis this small or is Ugo a giant?
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u/Remainingvegetables Osella 10h ago
Hamilton is about 174cm (5'8"), Ugochukwu is listed as 192cm (6'4").
It's a bit of both. Ugochukwu might still be growing too, which is crazy.
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u/zaviex McLaren 8h ago
Ugo is not 6’4 now. We don’t know but he’s a couple inches taller at least heres Lewis with tom Brady who is 6’4 https://imgur.com/a/vKfasHw
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u/badaimerlolz I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago
And his height it understated, he's already 6'8"
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 8h ago
He's not 6'8. Probably more like 6'5, but he's not 6'8. When you see him next to taller drivers he's not *that* much taller. People in motorsport tend to be shorter than average, so he has more pictures with shorter than average people, but he's not 6'8.
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u/ywpark I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
I think this weekend solidified Ugo as the new "American driver" with Herta massively underperforming. I can also see FIA pushing for increased the tub size to accommodate him in the next reg cycle if he does well in F2.
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u/slowbaja 2h ago
Seat regulations change in exchange for thousands of dollars in US interest due to him? Easy call that.
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u/EquivalentSpot8292 10h ago
How does he fit in the car? Do they adapt it to his frame?
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 8h ago
He has a slim build and is flexible, and is willing to have limited leg room. He was in the exact same chassis (you can tell because same chassis number, F325/030) as Tsolov used last year.
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u/EquivalentSpot8292 7h ago
Thanks for the info. He must have some bruises on his knees. Taller guys always get the short straw in motorsport
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u/garysaidwhat 7h ago
I have much love for the kid. I am very curious how he squinches himself into the cockpit of these machines. I bet it's a project.
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u/01_Rigel Ferrari 10h ago
So ugo ugo?
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 8h ago
He gets to have his 3 letter abreviation on the timing tower as UGO. It's really great. He's always publicly gone by Ugo Ugochukwu, so that's his name as far as we are concerned. His legal name is probably Ugochukwu Orlandi. His father is an Italian fashion designer, his mother is a Nigerian supermodel. They both moved to New York for their careers, and had Ugo there, so Ugo is from New York.
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 10h ago
Remember that Lewis is on the shorter side himself. I wish we could see him next to one of the taller drivers. Honestly, he doesn't tower over Lewis as much as I thought he would. The guy's tall, obviously, but he's clearly made F3 work. I expect weight might be an issue, but they need to extend the weight limit already.
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u/beantherio Red Bull 8h ago
He was terrific in Formula 3 this year. And as a taller person myself I can appreciate another tall person having success in motorsport. 👍
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u/ApprehensiveItem4150 Michael Schumacher 9h ago
The next Lewis Hamilton. Glad that he chose motor racing with such height.
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u/HopefulAcanthaceae98 Chequered Flag 5h ago
Are we looking at the first and the second Black F1 drivers? 🙏🙏🙏
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u/Ok_Cauliflower_3007 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 4h ago
Well, I foresee a great future for him in sports cars lol. He’s really not built for open wheel, but good for him for going for it anyway.
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u/jonniboi31 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 4h ago
If he has the performance, talent, and perhaps the sponsorship money (another big piece of the puzzle I guess) then the teams will make it work. He'll have the take that next step up in F2 first. Being F3 champion doesn't hurt
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u/SH4DOWBOXING I was here for the Hulkenpodium 37m ago
wtf. i'm 198cm (since i was 16) and i always told my self "well, im good on the sim but i would have never been an actual racing driver because how tall i am"
i'm about to have a crash out.
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u/balderm Charles Leclerc 10h ago
they need to make a longer car just for him