Lando Norris launches LN4 Fusion junior race team and driver programme

Launched ahead of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, LN4 Fusion is a junior single-seater team that will begin racing in 2027. It is the first time a modern world champion has directly backed a junior team, funded by Norris and an investment group. The venture operates alongside the LN4 Legacy Programme, a fully funded initiative designed to support talented drivers from the grassroots level through the expensive single-seater ladder. Former Alpine sporting director Julian Rouse will lead the Legacy Programme, which is managed by ADD Management.

Norris, who won his first F1 world title in 2025 and is contracted with McLaren until at least 2030, stated that getting to Formula 1 takes so much more than just talent and requires the right support and opportunities.

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René Rosin, the former team principal of Prema Racing who oversaw 40 championship titles, joins as a consultant and will serve as team principal for European operations. He is joined by Guillaume Capietto, Prema's former technical chief, who takes the role of racing director. According to Feeder Series, the Rosin family's departure from Prema on 12 January 2026 occurred just 10 days before the registration of Alphabet Racing Limited — the entity understood to be this project — in Jersey.

The corporate engine is led by CEO Dan Richards, a British businessman who focuses on commercial development. The team's structure is split between two primary hubs:

• Veneto, Italy: The European headquarters overseeing continental ambitions.
• Cambridgeshire, UK: A base managed by Dan Hazlewood, head of Fusion Motorsport, overseeing the British F4 entry and testing programme.

The path to the 2027 grid was accelerated through the acquisition of selected assets from the German-Emirati outfit AIX Racing. Feeder Series reports that AIX Investment Group has suffered significant financial troubles this year and that legal proceedings are reportedly underway. A spokesperson for AIX Racing declined to comment on the takeover, and AIX Investment Group did not respond to requests for clarification on the legal proceedings.

The transition became visible on 3 September 2026, when AIX's F2 and F3 cars appeared at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in new green-and-yellow liveries. The original AIX branding was replaced by sponsors linked to Richards, including Neutonic, a drinks brand owned by Richards, and Onyx, a financial services company where Richards serves as CEO.

Feeder Series notes that Prema's dominance in the feeder ladder had waned recently, finishing 10th in the current F2 standings and seventh in F3. This decline followed Prema's withdrawal from IndyCar after reported financial issues at its Swiss parent company, DC Racing Solutions.

F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali described Norris's investment as an incredible statement regarding the importance of the F2 and F3 pyramid to the future of the sport.

The organization has already begun aggressive recruitment, posting advertisements for category lead race engineers, mechanics, and truck drivers via Alphabet Racing's job site. Testing is already underway, with cars spotted at Le Castellet in July and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in late July.

Corporate Architecture and Timeline

The establishment of LN4 Fusion followed a precise sequence of corporate registrations throughout early 2026. According to Feeder Series, the process began on 28 January with the registration of Alphabet Racing Limited – understood to be the same project – in Jersey, directed by British businessmen Dan Richards and Chris Phillips. This was followed on 29 January 2026 by the creation of Fusion Competition, a British-registered company with ownership split evenly between Hazlewood and Alphabet Racing.

By 31 January 2026, Alphabet Racing purchased 50 per cent of the British team Fusion Motorsport, prompting Dan Richards to join as a director. This karting foundation is significant, as Fusion Motorsport has operated in UK karting for 25 years and has fielded drivers including Le Mans winner Jonny Edgar and Formula E race winner Taylor Barnard.

• Alphabet Racing: The Milan-registered parent entity based in Veneto, Italy.
• Fusion Competition: The joint venture between Alphabet and Hazlewood.
• Fusion Motorsport: The veteran karting stable now partially owned by Alphabet Racing.

The transition from corporate planning to physical testing occurred in July 2026. Alphabet Racing was first spotted at a Kateyama-organised test at Le Castellet on 7 July with driver Zhao Zijun. Further testing took place on 27 and 28 July at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya using three F4 cars.

The new liveries debuted at Monza feature Neutonic, a drinks and wellness supplement brand owned by Richards, and Onyx, a financial services company where he serves as CEO. Other sponsors included Bloume Health, Crumb, and OpenByte.