Lando Norris's LN4 Fusion awaits Formula 2 verdict as 2027-29 team selection nears end

Lando Norris's junior racing team could soon learn whether it will be on the Formula 2 grid. On 21 October, F2 chief executive Bruno Michel said the selection of teams for the next three-year cycle was being finalised and would be announced "very soon." LN4 Fusion, co-founded by the reigning Formula 1 world champion, is among the applicants for 2027.

A three-year entry cycle

F2 and F3 award team entries in three-year cycles. The next F2 cycle covers 2027 to 2029 and coincides with the arrival of a new car. Michel has said F2 will not add teams for the new period, to protect existing outfits. The grid will stay at 22 drivers. That means LN4 Fusion would have to win a place from an existing team rather than receive an extra slot.

Michel said the process should finish in about a month, before the F2 season ends in the Middle East. He praised Norris for putting money back into the ladder that helped his own career. He also noted that Norris will not run the team day to day because he is still racing full time for McLaren.

What is LN4 Fusion?

Norris announced the project at the start of September, before the Italian Grand Prix. It is a partnership with Fusion Motorsport, an established karting team. The project was developed by CEO Dan Richards with backing from an investment group. Former Prema boss René Rosin is team principal and runs the European programmes from a base in Veneto, northern Italy. Dan Hazlewood leads the UK operation from Cambridgeshire.

The team already has confirmed entries in Italian F4, the Formula Regional European Championship and FIA Formula 3. It got into F3 midway through the cycle by taking over the assets of AIX Racing. It is also seeking places in British F4 and F2. Norris also launched the LN4 Legacy Programme, a fully funded scheme to find and support young drivers. It is run with ADD Management, the group that guided his own route to F1.

Why F2 matters to F1 teams

A place in F2 would give LN4 Fusion a full route from F4 to the level directly below Formula 1. The value of F2 is clear this season. Championship leader Rafael Câmara, a Ferrari junior, has been confirmed at Haas for 2027 and is seven points ahead of Nikola Tsolov. McLaren's 2025 F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli has been placed in endurance racing for 2027.

Norris's main focus is still F1. He is sixth in the drivers' standings on 201 points with six rounds left, starting with this weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin. McLaren are third in the constructors' standings, seven points ahead of Red Bull.

What happens next

F2 is expected to publish its 2027-29 team list within weeks. If LN4 Fusion is accepted, it would join the grid when the new car arrives. The team would then race from F4 to F2 in its second full year. If not, it will continue in F3 and the regional series and can apply again at the next selection.

Key takeaways

• F2 says its 2027-2029 team line-up will be announced "very soon," with a decision expected in about a month.
• The grid will not grow beyond 22 cars, so LN4 Fusion would need to win a place from an existing team.
• LN4 Fusion already races in Italian F4, FRECA and F3, and has also applied for British F4.
• Norris co-founded the team in September with Fusion Motorsport, with René Rosin as team principal.

FAQ

Q: When will the F2 decision be made? A: F2 chief Bruno Michel said on 21 October that the line-up would be announced very soon, with the process expected to finish in about a month.

Q: Is Lando Norris running the team himself? A: No. He is a co-founder, but day-to-day operations are led by CEO Dan Richards and team principal René Rosin.

Q: How did LN4 Fusion enter Formula 3 mid-cycle? A: It took over the assets and entry of the existing AIX Racing team.

Sources: PlanetF1, GPblog, RACER, Formula1.com, Crash.net