Lando Norris makes new announcement ahead of Italian Grand Prix

McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion Lando Norris has co-founded a junior single-seater race team and set up a driver development programme.

The LN4 Fusion team will compete in a number of junior championships from 2027, including Formula 3, the step below Formula 2 on the junior ladder.

Lando Norris sets up new junior race team aiming for F2 in 2027

LN4 Fusion will also have a presence in Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) as well as Italian Formula 4, with the team also confirming its intention to enter Formula 2 as soon as next year.

LN4, which has acquired assets from AIX Racing, will be spearheaded by former Prema boss Rene Rosin, who has been appointed team principal.

Other names involved include Dan Hazlewood, the team principal of UK operations, and Guillaume Capietto, who will act as racing director.

Dan Richards will oversee LN4 Fusion’s corporate strategy, commercial development and long-term business growth having led a ‘high-profile investment group’ behind the team.

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The team, which will be based in Veneto in northern Italy, will also have a British site in Cambridgeshire.

In addition to the LN4 Fusion outfit, Norris has launched the LN4 Legacy Programme to offer opportunities to young drivers.

The academy will be led by programme director Julian Rouse, the former Alpine F1 sporting director and academy director.

Norris said: “I’ve been really lucky to have some amazing people around me throughout my career, and I know that getting to Formula 1 takes so much more than just talent.

“You need the right people around you, the right support and the right opportunities at the right time. That’s what these two projects are all about.

“LN4 Fusion is about building a race team that can compete with the best in junior motorsport, with great people and a great environment for drivers to develop.

“The LN4 Legacy Programme is about helping talented young drivers get opportunities they might not otherwise have.

“For me, they naturally fit together. I want to help create opportunities for the next generation, both on and off the track, and hopefully make a real difference to young drivers coming through the sport.

“I’m also really grateful to TUMI and Monster for coming on this journey with us.

“They’ve supported me personally for a long time, so it’s really cool to have them backing what we’re building with LN4 Fusion and the LN4 Legacy Programme.

“We’ve got a few more of my partners joining us as well, which I’m looking forward to sharing soon.”

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