LEGO to join 2026 F1 Academy grid
A new entrant for a growing series
The F1 Academy, an all-female single-seater series created by Formula One in 2023, will expand its grid again in 2026, this time with the addition of a Lego-branded team. T
he announcement was made during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, where series officials unveiled the car and introduced the program’s first driver.
The new entry will feature 20-year-old Dutch racer Esmee Kosterman, who has spent recent seasons climbing junior-level categories across Europe. Her arrival makes her one of the youngest drivers to be linked with a global sponsorship program of this scale.
A colorful debut in Las Vegas
The car was revealed in the pit lane at the Las Vegas Street Circuit, wrapped in a bright mix of yellow, pink, blue, and black, a design that mirrors the playful aesthetic long associated with the Danish toy maker.
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According to F1 Academy officials, Kosterman’s Lego-themed entry will compete alongside cars backed by all 11 Formula One teams in 2026, part of the series’ strategy to build stronger pathways into professional motorsport.
The reveal continues a partnership between Formula One and the Lego Group that formally began in 2023. Previous joint projects included life-size Lego cars showcased at the Miami Grand Prix drivers’ parade, which became one of the weekend’s most-shared fan moments.
Building opportunities, not just model cars
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff said the collaboration is meant to do more than showcase branding on a race car.
“We’re so proud to welcome the LEGO Group as an Official Partner of F1 Academy,” Wolff said in a statement. She added that the goal is to “build belief in what’s possible” for girls who are interested in motorsport, whether as drivers, engineers, or fans.
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The partnership will also include a new Lego model based on the 2026 car, the first official F1 Academy set the company has ever produced.
Series representatives say the hope is that younger fans, particularly girls, see themselves reflected in the toy and the sport.
Why Lego wanted in
Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at the Lego Group, said the company sees the F1 Academy as “levelling the playing field in motorsport” and offering young female athletes a clearer path toward the upper tiers of racing.
She added that Kosterman’s involvement is a significant part of their push to expand representation within Lego’s motorsport-themed products.
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“For the first time, fans can hold their favorite F1 Academy Lego car in their hands,” Goldin said, calling the project a milestone for racing-related toys aimed at girls.
The partnership announcement arrived during a high-stakes weekend for the F1 Academy itself.
Las Vegas is hosting the season finale, where title contenders Doriane Pin and Maya Weug are battling for the championship. To tie into the Lego collaboration, the podium finisher will receive a bouquet made from roughly 2,000 Lego pieces, a playful alternative to traditional flowers.
Looking ahead, the series plans additional brand-backed entries, expanded testing opportunities, and increased integration with Formula One race weekends. With Lego entering as a long-term partner, officials say they hope to raise the championship’s visibility and strengthen its mission of preparing more women for professional racing.
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