The Lando Norris junior team is now official. The reigning world champion launched LN4 Fusion at Casatenovo, just outside Monza, on Wednesday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, confirming he is putting his own money into a driver development programme that will run entries across several feeder categories from next season.
“I’m proud to be part of something outside F1, and really feel like I can embed myself in a racing team,” Norris said. “And to help the younger generation who are maybe not as fortunate as others, or as I was when I was younger.”
Why the Lando Norris junior team is self-funded
The 26-year-old, who won titles in Formula 4 and Formula 3 on his way up, framed the project as a response to the cost of the junior ladder and the uneven support around it.
“I know how lucky I was. To go through F4, F3 and F2 is very hard,” he said. “It’s not just about who has the money, it’s about driver coaches, the people around you. Learning what each driver needs as an individual and then we want to give everyone the best shot possible at getting to F1.”
Norris keeps overall charge but has appointed a leadership group to run the programme while he races full-time. “I will do as much as I can,” he said. “I also have my job, which is F1.” He added, with the succession planning only half in jest: “I have timed it so by the time I retire, they are old enough and can take my seat.”
The launch follows Norris extending his McLaren contract to 2030, as reported by BBC Sport. He arrives at Monza fifth in a championship led by Kimi Antonelli, a season we assessed in our verdict on Norris’s title defence.
