LEGO X F1 ACADEMY: BUILDING THE FUTURE OF MOTORSPORT, ONE BRICK AT A TIME
In the neon glow of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, just hours before the FORMULA 1 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2025 kicked off, the LEGO Group and F1 ACADEMY dropped a certified banger: a multi-year partnership designed to fire up the next generation of motorsport fans, especially young girls, through creativity, representation, and pure racing excitement. Front and centre of this new alliance is a full LEGO Racing entry joining the F1 ACADEMY grid in 2026, with Dutch rising star Esmee Kosterman behind the wheel. Alongside the announcement, the duo also unveiled their first-ever LEGO Speed Champions F1 ACADEMY set, available to pre-order now. Kosterman, just 20 years old, brings impressive credentials to this next chapter. She burst into the spotlight by becoming the first woman to win in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup in 2023, followed by finishing 2nd in Junior Cup and 3rd overall. In 2024, she moved into single-seaters in Indian F4 before making her F1 ACADEMY debut as the Wild Card entry at her home race in Zandvoort.
For 2026, she steps into her first full season, and into a car unlike anything else on the grid: a bespoke LEGO Racing livery designed by LEGO’s own creative team. It’s equal parts motorsport aggression and playful LEGO attitude, including a unique checkered pattern that blends colour, design and brick-inspired energy. It’s a rolling celebration of imagination meeting performance. The launch in Las Vegas brought together heavy hitters: Susie Wolff (F1 ACADEMY Managing Director), Julia Goldin (LEGO Group Chief Product & Marketing Officer), LEGO designers Beatrice Amoretti and Maria Jędryszek, all hosted by Ariana Bravo.
Motorsport’s changing audience - and why this matters
F1 has never been more diverse, with 42% of its fanbase now women. But the numbers also show a gap:
87% of girls want more opportunities for women in motorsport
75% think racing sounds exciting
52% can see themselves as a driver
Meanwhile, 76% of parents say motorsport is still seen as “for boys”
This partnership aims straight at that divide: give girls representation, give them role models, and give them ways to build confidence brick by brick.
Julia Goldin, LEGO Group: “F1 ACADEMY is levelling the playing field and giving young female athletes a clear path forward. We’re thrilled to see LEGO Racing hit the grid and to have Esmee as our first driver. With this partnership, and our first F1 ACADEMY LEGO car, we’re giving young girls toys that show them that anything is possible.”
Susie Wolff, F1 ACADEMY: “This isn’t just about building a LEGO car, it’s about building belief. We want every young girl who picks up these bricks to see a future for herself in motorsport, whether that’s as a driver, engineer, leader, or fan. Together, we’re smashing old stereotypes and widening the road for the next generation.”
Esmee Kosterman, LEGO Racing Driver: “To be the first driver for LEGO Racing is unreal. I’ve always loved LEGO, and now I get to bring that creativity to the track. I hope this shows future female racers that with determination, they can build their own path in motorsport.”
The partnership’s debut product is the LEGO Speed Champions F1 ACADEMY LEGO Race Car, a 201-piece miniature replica of Kosterman’s real 2026 machine. It features detailed aerodynamics, the custom LEGO colourway, the #32 race number, and even a matching LEGO minifigure in full LEGO Racing gear - available for pre-order now, with global LEGO Store availability starting 1 March 2026.
Take a look at the YouTube video: LEGO Racing Joins F1 ACADEMY: Empowering Girls in Motorsport | The Shared Experience
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