LKYSUNZ. Perhaps this name is not like anything else to you and its pronunciation is not the easiest. But he wants to remember her. He wants to get a lot of headlines in the future. LKYSUNZ is the new Asian project that wants to be the new team on the Formula 1 grid from the year 2026, course where the new engine regulations come into effect. It is a novel project, with diversity and equality as pillars and F1 fans at the center of it all. This is what its first members and founders say in the only thing currently on their website, a video in which they explain their revolutionary idea of a team concept to reach F1: “It doesn’t matter what our position is on the grid. We will be the first team on the podium for the fans. “I’m sure you are.”
Despite this, the truth is that the project has a very ambitious goal. Usually, when a new team (which does not inherit or buy any structure already present in F1) starts at a lower level and must set lower goals to improve step by step compared to the teams that have become elite of this very complicated sport for many years. They don’t see it from LKYSUNZthat with a large source of money, wants to be competitive from their first year.
Headquarters in Asia and Africa to bring F1 closer to other people
It is an Asian team that already has the support of institutions from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria and Kenya. Yes, from Asia and Africa. The reason? very simple: they want to have several offices in Asia and Africa with the aim of being a platform to provide opportunity to reach F1 in different communities of these continents. They want to bring the ‘Great Circus’ to people who now see it as too far or out of reach.
That is something that is difficult to happen with the current F1 teams, which are based in Europe (7 teams are headquartered in the United Kingdom, two in Italy and one in Switzerland). So, their idea was to have several headquarters. Like Alpine It has its main factory in Enstone (Great Britain) and machines in Franceor the same as the previous association of red bull (Great Britain) and sling bag (Japan), in this case, the idea is that the group has several ‘houses’ in the two aforementioned continents to open a new door to those who currently see F1 as an unattainable dream: new mechanics, engineers and all kinds of African and Asian personnel, closer to ‘Great Circus’.
It remains to be seen what engine they have, as creating a new 2026 engine seems very complicated.
The team is committed to running “grassroots and youth programs” to grow the sport among a younger and more diverse demographic.something that explains the government support received and previously mentioned from several countries.
A multi-million dollar budget
It’s not just an idea. This is something very specific. That was clear in the formal request that LKYSUNZ made at the beginning of the year to the FIA to enter F1 in 2026.
The 10 current F1 teams are already reluctant to bring in new constructors, as was the case with Andretti’s idea of a new structure. All, because another team means sharing the ‘pie’ more and receiving a smaller piece. Everything is money. For this reason, the teams want the entry fee in F1 to triple from the current 200 million dollars to 600 million., money that can restore many innovative projects, because the most important costs must be added to that cost: the creation of the structure, car and payment of personnel. A dream that can’t be reached. But not for LKYSUNZ.
According to some international media, LKYSUNZ reached an agreement to receive financing of 1,000 million dollars from the American sports fund the sports fund Legends Advocate Sports Group to make this team a reality. Of that 1,000 million, the team wants to offer 600 to pay their entry to be part of the 2026 grid as the 11th team. In this way, he wanted to show the ambition and security of his project, tripling the price of his entry into F1 of his own free will.
Furthermore, with this 1,000 million in financing and the contribution of institutions from several Asian and African countries, the entire It aims to create facilities at the forefront of technology, at the level of the best, with the sole aim of being competitive from the first year of its creation. Of course, they will need to hire engineers from current F1 teams to provide the experience they lack. And that is very expensive.
This is an enormous challenge, which may seem impossible, but in which its founders firmly believe. This could be another one of those promises that ended in failure. Or it can be the opposite: something unique and exemplary. Time will tell.
“Ready to pay 600 million instead of 200”
“We have listened to the feedback from the teams and wholeheartedly acknowledge the effort, commitment and investment they have put into the sport with the Formula 1 Group and the FIA to bring it to its current level,” said Benjamin Durand, CEO of LKYSUNZ following the official news of their additional financing agreement.
“With the news of our additional funding, we are pleased to confirm that LKYSUNZ is ready to meet the teams’ request and pay $600 million (to enter F1) despite the current cycle of financial regulations establishing 200 million dollars. “We look forward to continuing our positive discussions with the FIA and are pleased with the financial support of our partners,” he said.
“Our ambition has always been to ensure that the sport remains competitive while bringing real diversity to the paddock, which is essential for long-term growth for everyone in Formula 1,” added Durand about the purpose of his idea. “We know that, from a commercial point of view, the opportunity to expand the sport in Asia and Africa is 100% the right decision, it is viable and, above all, it is what current and potential motorsport fans demand worldwide. world. “The significant financial commitment from our partners is an endorsement and we are confident that our entry can bring interest in the sport to new heights.”
In this sense, it is no secret that F1 aims to expand into new markets such as Africa, something in which the idea of competing in South Africa is also raised. In addition, it also wants to continue expanding its ever-growing power in the United States, a market where F1 is experiencing a real boom. US funding of this project is along those lines.
Benjamin Durand predicts that Asia and Africa will be the next two big markets for F1 and his intention is to light that fuse. In particular, it focuses on Asia. “We continue to think that the Asian market and the Chinese market are the next markets to develop,” commented Durand in statements to the ‘PlanetF1’ portal.
“Everyone is looking to the west, no one is looking to the east. Now Formula 1 is very focused on the United States, which is normal because it is growing, but when the market is there, Asia and Africa will be the next big markets. for F1, especially now that Zhou is in the Championship,” he concluded.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
