F2 teams confirmed for 2027-29 cycle; Norris’ LN4 Fusion team joins the grid
Formula 2 has announced the 11 teams competing in the championship for its upcoming regulations set, having unveiled its new regulations set at the Italian round in Monza. The biggest addition to the grid is the new LN4 Fusion outfit, taking over the entry held by AIX Racing until 2026.
The venture, started by reigning Formula One champion Lando Norris, is aimed at building a pathway for several drivers along the road to F1. LN4 Fusion has already joined several junior racing championships, including Italian F4, the returning ADAC F4 Championship, the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) and FIA Formula 3.
In the latter, LN4 Fusion took over the assets of AIX Racing. The squad will field Eurocup-3 champion James Egozi, while Gabriel Gomez and Dion Gowda step up from their respective campaigns in FREC.
Even before the official entry for LN4 Fusion had been confirmed, Super Formula’s Roman Staněk had teased the team’s entry in a cryptic post, all but highlighting his return to F2 for the first time since the end of 2025.
LN4 Fusion will compete under an Italian licence, making it the third squad to represent the nation alongside Trident and PREMA Racing.
Yet, the process to join F2 has always been competitive, with many aiming for the highest rung on the ladder to F1 and to hone talent ready to step up.
“We are finalising the process of the selection for the F2 teams for the next three years.
And we'll be announcing the teams very soon,” F2 and F3 CEO Bruno Michel had revealed in a media interaction attended by DIVEBOMB earlier this month.
The championship has retained its existing grid of 10 teams going into the next three years, featuring Campos, Invicta Racing, MP Motorsport, Rodin Motorsport, DAMS, Hitech, PREMA Racing, Trident and ART Grand Prix.
“We received strong interest from teams around the world for this new three-year cycle, underlining the strength and appeal of our Championship,” Michel revealed in the announcement on Wednesday.
“We have retained ten of our current teams, who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to providing the best possible environment for young drivers to prepare for Formula One.”
Michel was glad to welcome Norris and his LN4 Fusion entry into F2, looking at the value they can add to the pathway and provide more opportunities to drivers:
“I am also pleased to welcome LN4 Fusion to the grid. They will bring considerable expertise, and I am confident they will make a valuable contribution to the Championship.”
LN4 Fusion's Chief Executive Officer Dan Richards expressed his delight at entering F2 in 2027, marking an important chapter in the entry's progress on the Road to F1.
“From the outset, our ambition has been to build a competitive, sustainable motorsport organisation with a clear development pathway for drivers and an environment in which talented people can succeed.
"Formula 2 is central to that ambition, representing the final and arguably most demanding stage of preparation before Formula 1," Richards expressed on the milestone announcement.
“To have secured a place in the championship so soon after launching LN4 Fusion is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in bringing this project together.
But getting to F2 is only a part of the step. The bigger steps lie ahead, in getting the entry ready for the upcoming season, and ensuring its future drivers have plenty of opportunities to test the car and be at one with it ahead of the coming campaign.
The team will also be looking to be operationally ready when the upcoming year of racing comes along, and get the right personnel in the right places.
"We recognise the level of competition in Formula 2 and the challenge ahead of us. Our focus is now firmly on building the right foundations, surrounding ourselves with exceptional people and giving our drivers and team the best possible opportunity to compete at the highest level," Richards concluded.
Michel: “Very positive to see Lando coming back into the system”
Michel has also expressed the value that a driver of Norris’ calibre can add to the championship. It is a rarity for drivers setting up their own initiative along the road to F1, and Norris can be seen as a forerunner in this aspect.
“I'm always very grateful to drivers who are always trying to give back a bit of what they've been earning because of what happened to their career,” Michel said, on the McLaren driver’s involvement along the Road to F1.
“It's a very strong thing for Lando, and I think he's also enjoying it very much. He wants to work with young drivers, in the same way he's been helped in the past.
Norris will also become the first active racing driver to own and run a racing team in F2, and this can bring a different perspective to the series. A driver graduating to F1 can actively pass along useful inputs and tips that helped him along the way, being a defining factor in the way LN4 Fusion operates on the grid.
“And that's fantastic for us. On top of that, I'm sure we'll have a good approach to how to run the team, even if he's not going to be there on a day-to-day basis because he's got another job. But for sure, it's very positive,” Michel said, speaking to select media on the team’s entry into F2 and F3.
LN4 Fusion will be the second venture run by Norris, alongside his karting outfit, LN Racing Kart, which commenced in 2021 with the takeover of the OTK Kart Group.
Norris has also reportedly shown interest in running a Formula E team for the upcoming Gen4 era; however, this did not materialise into a spot on the grid. Nevertheless, the Porsche-powered Fusion Formula E Team holds an entry in the championship and was founded by Dan Richards, a key investor in Norris’ LN4 Fusion outfit.
The drivers announced for the upcoming F2 season
A total of seven drivers have been announced for the 2027 F2 season so far. Invicta Racing are the only team to announce its pair of drivers for the upcoming year, with F3 runner-up Freddie Slater joining forces alongside teammate Noah Strømsted.
Elsewhere, Trident announced their first name for 2027, with James Wharton stepping up from F3 to race for the Italian outfit. Joshua Dürksen vacates his existing Invicta seat to move to Hitech, competing in a fourth F2 season.
Laurens van Hoepen will switch to MP Motorsport for the upcoming campaign, his second in the championship, moving over from Trident.
F3 graduates Tuukka Taponen and Brando Badoer have secured spots on the grid, securing drives for ART Grand Prix and Rodin Motorsport respectively.
A whole host of drivers are expected to be announced in the coming months, with F2 teams ironing out their driver pairings and getting to work ahead of the forthcoming season of racing.
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