The Sunday Mail
AS part of its ambitious expansion programme, LKY SUNZ has announced its bid to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship by the 2025/2026 season.
The aspiring F1 disruptor has secured significant investment ahead of its formal application to the FIA.
It has emerged that LKY SUNZ, a new entertainment and youth culture-focused motorsports team, has secured significant investment from Legends Advocates Sports Group, a US-based sports fund, alongside investment from Asian private individuals and corporates in support of their bid to join the FIA Formula One World Championship.
The racing team, which aims to be on the grid for the 2025/2026 season, was expected to submit its application before the FIA’s deadline in May.
LKY SUNZ will become wholly operational outside of Europe, with its base in South East Asia, whilst forging close links with inner city communities across North America, Asia and Africa.
This demonstrates the team’s commitment to providing under-represented communities opportunities in motorsports.
The founding members are experienced in operating across multiple territories and have a track record of building businesses in sports, including racing and Formula One.
LKY SUNZ will be led by co-founder Benjamin Durand, a motorsports veteran, who will take up the role of chief executive officer.
The other founders include chairperson Paul Fleming, who brings over two decades of business experience across professional motorsport, real estate and financial services.
In addition, co-founder Andrew Pyrah takes the role of chief commercial officer, adding a wealth of expertise across sports, events and entertainment.
LKY SUNZ CEO Durand expressed their excitement with the latest developments.
“We are excited to see our investors share our vision of fusing youth culture and racing to create a team that will disrupt Formula One.
“The sport’s popularity has grown exponentially and every current stakeholder in the sport has been responsible for that, but our guiding principle is to bring something different into the sport to appeal to new audiences.
“By being the only team operating outside the traditional F1 corridors and developing bespoke programmes to attract talent from under-represented communities, we can bring a diversity of thought yet to be seen in Formula One,’’ Durand said.
“We, of course, aim to be competitive on the track but we also commit to entertaining fans off the track.
“To support our plans, we have already on board an impressive team of motorsport executives, music and entertainment industry experts and creatives who will help bring this vision to life.”
LKY SUNZ will build a state-of-the-art net zero green energy-powered factory complex in South East Asia by 2025/2026.
Initially, their race cars will be built and assembled at a European base.
Chris Miles, founder of Starting Grid, Inc, and Global Motorsports marketing adviser to the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN), an advocacy mechanism to amplify the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, will assist LKY SUNZ to forge pathways for under-represented communities within the many facets of the motorsports industry through its academies and educational programmes.
Miles, a native of New Albany, Indiana, founded Starting Grid, Inc, in 1994, after pursuing a professional race car driving career of his own, to help facilitate equal opportunities for minority participation within all facets of the motorsports industry.
Miles’ business partner, famed Hollywood actor Richard Gant, serves as ARDN’s art, sport and culture committee chairperson.
Collectively, they have led activations, in partnership with FIFA and UN Women, to promote the UNAIDS’ “Protect The Goal” campaign, as well as the ARDN Red Card campaign to abolish violence and discrimination against women and girls.
Starting Grid, Inc, is presently spearheading an initiative to utilise esports and electrified motorsports as a “conduit of engagement” to inspire persons of African descent to become involved within all aspects of the esports and motorsports industry.
Miles’ curriculum vitae also includes spearheading American HONDA’s Diversity Motorsport Initiative (2011-2014) and handling Wyatt Gooden, the first American driver to win races for that programme.
He also had Chase Austin (Kansas), Axcil Jefferies (Zimbabwe) and Aston Harris (California) competing on the initiative’s programme. — Sports Reporter/www.lkysunz.com
