$1.7B Worth Potential F1 Rival Tips His Hat to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s Incredible Talent

Formula 1 has attained a completely new level of appeal. Prior to this, only the drivers had to wait for the teams and the FIA’s clearance to hire them as one of the top 20 drivers on the grid. However, a number of businessmen and investors now want to acquire their own Formula 1 team. Hongkong billionaire Calvin Lo wants to use his own Asian team to compete at the top level of motorsport. The investor appears to be getting ready for the entry he has long yearned for and, in an exclusive interview with GP Blog, the entrepreneur tipped his hat to the talent of two greatest of the sports.

R.E. Lee International, owned by Calvin Lo, is the biggest broker of life insurance. The $1.7 billion investor has been patiently waiting to enter Formula 1 after being tremendously intrigued by German superstar Michael Schumacher. He has grown more outspoken in discussions about Formula 1 over time, and when the billionaire was asked who his personal favorite candidate for his F1 team would be, the businessman stressed that he wanted to keep all options open before tipping his hat in appreciation of the two superstars’ skills.

The GP blog conducted an exclusive conversation with Calvin Lo where he said, “I really admire people like Lewis Hamilton, you know, too Max Verstappen. I mean, they’re very different, right? But I mean, they also make the whole show incredible with their talent.”

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According to a co-founder of Panthera Asia, the team is willing to collaborate with Lo, thus it appears that the billionaire’s wish may soon come true.

Will Calvin Lo’s wish soon come true?

Calvin Lo stated his intention to join the elite class of F1 in December of last year, following numerous other faces who had expressed a similar desire. The billionaire investor wanted to work with an existing team or form a completely new one because he has experience in finance. The Panthera Asia appears to be a good fit when considering his background. However, Panthera is just one of many teams vying for a position on the F1 grid, but the team is already working on the FIA’s Expression of Interest procedure since they think they will probably get a spot in 2026.

When asked by PlanetF1.com whether a future partnership with Lo would be conceivable, co-founder and team principal Benjamin Durand responded, “We haven’t talked to Calvin Lo right now. It was interesting to see his comments in the press because he’s saying basically also what we’re saying that the Asian market isn’t the focus right now, the US is. I don’t have details about his project but we are open to everything. We are still in the stage if whoever comes can bring us something that can reinforce our project and reinforce the bid for F1 [then that is good].”

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Who knows how many teams will be added in 2026? Maybe only time will tell. Until then, the competition will undoubtedly intensify in the next few years. Following all of that, do share your thoughts on the squad you believe will win the 2023 championship.