--- title: "Bondarev One Step Away from Podium: Ukrainian Driver Debuts for Lando Norris's Team in Malaysia" description: "17-year-old Ukrainian driver Oleksandr Bondarev finished fourth in the first race of the second round of Formula Trophy Malaysia in Sepang, making his debut for the LN4 Fusion team associated with Lando Norris." date: 2026-11-07T12:51:55.897Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/bondarev-debut-ln4-fusion-malaysia tags: [formula-trophy, lando-norris, ln4-fusion, ukrainian-motorsport, sepang] author: "Andrey Kosynko, Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Bondarev One Step Away from Podium: Ukrainian Driver Debuts for Lando Norris's Team in Malaysia ![Ukrainian racing driver Oleksandr Bondarev in the LN4 Fusion team racing suit in front of a blue background with a logo](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/07/bondarev-debyut-ln4-fusion-malaysia/bondarev-debyut-ln4-fusion-malaysia-1.webp) ## Key Points - Oleksandr Bondarev took fourth place in the first race of the second round of Formula Trophy Malaysia in Sepang. - This is the debut of the 17-year-old Ukrainian as part of the LN4 Fusion team associated with Lando Norris. - The second race of the round will take place on November 8, starting at 03:15 Kyiv time; Bondarev will start from the seventh position. Ukrainian racing driver Oleksandr Bondarev finished fourth in the first race of the second round of the Formula Trophy Malaysia series, held at the Sepang International Circuit. For the 17-year-old driver, this race was special: he competed for the first time as part of the LN4 Fusion team, which, according to Sport RBC.UA, is co-founded by Lando Norris. The result was the team's best in this race and allowed Bondarev to finish just one step away from the podium. ### Qualifying: From Eighth Place to Fourth The first day of the racing weekend in Malaysia began for the Ukrainian with two qualifying sessions. In the first, Bondarev showed the eighth result, but in the second, he managed to improve his time and climb to the fourth position. Despite this, Oleksandr had to start the first race from the eighth spot on the starting grid, which required active fighting from the very first laps. ### The Race: The Path to Fourth Position At the beginning of the race, Bondarev made up two places right away and then moved up another spot. Throughout the race, the Ukrainian continued to attack the rival ahead of him and eventually made an overtake, finishing fourth—just a step away from the podium. This result became the best for LN4 Fusion in the first race of the round, which is especially valuable given the debut nature of the race for the entire team. ### A Team Connected to Lando Norris The round in Malaysia was Bondarev's first as part of LN4 Fusion, a team created, according to the source, by Lando Norris together with the British structure Fusion Motorsport. For LN4 Fusion itself, this race was also a debut in the championship, so the team continues to adapt to the series and work with new equipment. Under these conditions, the Ukrainian's fourth place looks like a telling result at the start of the cooperation. ### What's Next: The Second Race of the Round The second race of the Formula Trophy Malaysia round is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, starting at 03:15 Kyiv time. Thanks to the reverse starting grid, Bondarev will preliminarily start the race from the seventh position, giving him the opportunity to fight for a high result again. Previously, Oleksandr's participation in the Macau race was seen as another challenge in his professional career, and the Malaysian round continues this line of growth. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Бондарев остановился в шаге от подиума в дебюте за команду Ландо Норриса](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/bondarev-zupinivsya-krok-vid-podiumu-debyuti-1794055598.html) - Single source; result (4th place), qualification (8th, then 4th), start from 8th position, LN4 Fusion roster and schedule of the second race (November 8, 03:15 Kyiv time, 7th position) are given according to the official Formula Trophy Malaysia account. Norris's characteristic as the current F1 champion is retained according to the source text. ## FAQ ### What place did Oleksandr Bondarev take in the first race of the round? Fourth place—one step away from the podium, having started from the eighth position. ### Which team did Bondarev debut for? For LN4 Fusion, a team associated with Lando Norris and the British structure Fusion Motorsport. ### When will the second race of the round take place and from what position will Bondarev start? November 8, starting at 03:15 Kyiv time; thanks to the reverse grid, Bondarev will preliminarily start from the seventh position.