FIA Formula 2 CEO expects to announce team selections for 2027 seasons

Bruno Michel, the CEO of FIA Formula 2, expects to announce the selection of teams for the 2027, 2028, and 2029 seasons within one to one and a half months. This selection process determines if Lando Norris’s new racing team, LN4 Fusion, secures a spot on the Formula 2 grid. The championship intends to keep the number of teams consistent because 22 drivers in F2 provides a healthy balance alongside the 22 drivers in Formula 1. LN4 Fusion launched in early September and aims to support young talent on their journey to the top tier of racing. The team acquired the assets and entry rights of AIX Racing to secure its place in Formula 3 through the end of 2027. Gabriel Gomez and James Egozi are the confirmed drivers for the Formula 3 entry. The project includes team principal Rene Rosin, who formerly managed Prema Racing, and former Prema executive Guillaume Capietto. LN4 Fusion also plans to compete in the Italian Formula 4 Championship and the Formula Regional European Championship starting in 2027, while the team evaluates a potential entry into British Formula 4. Michel described Norris’s desire to help young drivers as "fantastic" for the championship and noted his enthusiasm for the project. Norris stated that getting to Formula 1 requires the right people, support, and opportunities at the right time, which he hopes to provide to others.

Lando Norris faces a complicated period of professional uncertainty. Former Aston Martin and Alpine team principal Szafnazer criticized the driving decisions of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the Marina Bay Sprint. Norris attempted to pass Piastri at Turn 5 in the closing stages of the race, but the move caused both McLaren drivers to spin. Piastri retired from the event, while Norris finished eighth, resulting in McLaren scoring only a single point. Szafnazer called the maneuver "bad judgement" because the drivers were fighting for positions that did not improve the team’s constructors’ championship standing. Szafnazer argued that because the financial difference between finishing third and fourth in the constructors’ standings is significant, McLaren should include bonuses in contracts to ensure that if the team loses, the drivers lose too. He noted that while drivers are racers, the team must point out that they cannot act solely to make themselves one point better off over a teammate. This tension follows a viral social media video where Norris appeared to mock Lance Stroll after the Singapore Grand Prix. The clip, which reached over three million views on X, shows Norris asking "Where’s Lance, where’s Lance?" while out with Haas driver Ollie Bearman. The drivers held fourth and fifth place before the collision. The social media post by MV3daily, which garnered 19,000 likes and 564 replies, criticized Norris for a lack of decency. Stroll has not scored a point this season and reached 100 Q1 eliminations this year.

Red Bull has closed the gap to McLaren in the fight for third place in the constructors’ championship. Red Bull currently holds 332 points, which is only seven points ahead of McLaren’s 339 points with six rounds remaining. This shift occurred after Max Verstappen secured back-to-back wins in Malaysia and Singapore using an upgraded RB22 with new sidepods, floor, and cooling layouts. McLaren’s performance has stalled since their Hungary floor upgrade, as the MCL40 has struggled with corner-entry handling. Ferrari remains far ahead in second place with 444 points, which is more than 100 points clear of both McLaren and Red Bull. Norris sits sixth in the drivers’ standings with 201 points as the paddock prepares for the United States Grand Prix in Austin from October 23 to 25. Ferrari will introduce a final major aerodynamic update in Austin featuring a redesigned floor and revised bodywork on the SF-26. The Red Bull upgrade aims to cure the drivability problems that plagued Verstappen earlier in the campaign.