Max Verstappen backs Lando Norris's junior team initiative

Lando Norris has officially announced the creation of his own junior racing team, and Max Verstappen has given the move his seal of approval. The reigning world champion hailed Norris's initiative as a positive step for young drivers, particularly at a time when the cost of climbing the motorsport ladder continues to escalate.

Why it matters:

The financial barrier in junior single-seater racing has become a major talking point in the paddock. With budgets for F3 and F4 campaigns soaring, many promising talents are being left behind. Norris's new squad, which steps in to fill a gap, could help level the playing field. Verstappen's public backing adds weight to the idea that more drivers should be investing in the next generation.

The Details:

• Norris's team has acquired the assets of AIX Racing and will compete in FIA Formula 3, the Formula Regional European Championship and Italian F4 from 2027.
• The 26-year-old has said the team was created to "give back" to the sport and offer opportunities to up-and-coming racers.
• Verstappen: "It's tough at the moment, costs are rising. So the more you can help them, the better it is. Some real talents, they don't have a lot of money, so to be able to create these kind of initiatives is great."
• Different approach: Verstappen also has his own racing team, but it's focused on endurance racing rather than the single-seater pyramid. He says combining both would be too hectic.
• "I enjoy more to be on the other side, working with established drivers, but also young guys that are finding that it is a crazy world. We can prepare them through the sim company we have as well. We are anyway training a lot of Formula 2, 3 and 4 drivers."

What's next:

Norris's junior team is set to go racing in 2027, and it will be interesting to see how the project develops. Verstappen, meanwhile, remains committed to his own path, using his sim company to nurture young talent. With two of F1's biggest stars investing in the future in different ways, the junior ladder could look very different in the coming years.