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It could just be that the grid will soon be expanded with an Asian team. LKY SUNZ reportedly plans to start as the eleventh team in 2025 or 2026.
The team has officially reported to the FIA and would also have sufficient financial support, it said in a statement. The greenhouse would be filled by Legends Advocates Sports Group, an investment fund from the United States and several parties from Asia. LKY SUNZ also says that he will prepare all the necessary documents before the May deadline, so that he can compete for a place on the grid from 2025.
LKY SUNZ wants to do things completely differently in several ways, although the question is how realistic that is. The aim is to lead the team from a base in Southeast Asia. This while almost all suppliers work from Europe and their factories are a stone’s throw from existing Formula 1 teams. From an operational point of view, it is therefore at least a considerable challenge to work from Asia.
Durand the most experienced man
Benjamin Durand assumes the duties of Managing Director. He is assisted by Paul Fleming and Andrew Pyrah. We know Durand as one of the men behind the Panthera Team Asia F1 Team, which was competing for a starting permit in Formula 1 until the start of this year. LKY SUNZ therefore seems to be a continuation of this project, but under a different name and with different people involved. Durand previously worked on the Lotus T25 and worked for Russian SMP Racing.
Diversity
LKY SUNZ not only needs to perform on the runway, but also wants to push the boundaries of entertainment and attract young fans. Durand: “We are delighted that our investors share our vision of youth culture and building a Formula 1 team. The sport has grown enormously in popularity and the current teams and drivers have contributed to this, but we want to bring something new to the sport. For example, by attracting talent from currently underrepresented communities. We’re bringing diversity to the sport in ways you don’t see yet.”
LKY SUNZ works on a state-of-the-art factory in Southeast Asia. The first cars will still be built on European soil, but the crossing must be done as quickly as possible in order to operate as climate-neutral as possible.
