LEGO® Racing Hits the F1 ACADEMY™ Grid in 2026, with Esmee Kosterman Behind the Wheel, in First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership

• F1 ACADEMY™ will feature a new livery, LEGO® Racing, starting in the 2026 season, with Esmee Kosterman unveiled as the LEGO Racing driver
• The new multi-year partnership between the LEGO Group and F1 ACADEMY™ aims to inspire young fans, especially girls
• New research from the LEGO Group confirms that 75% of girls surveyed think racing sounds exciting, while 52% could see themselves as an F1 ACADEMY™ or race car driver one day*

Please find all currently available stills and videos here 

In the pitlane of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit at the FORMULA 1 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2025, the LEGO Group and F1 ACADEMY have announced an exciting multi-year partnership to inspire young fans, especially girls, through creative play and representation.

As part of this collaboration, the LEGO Group will be represented on the F1 ACADEMY grid starting with the 2026 F1 ACADEMY season, with LEGO® Racing, piloted by driver Esmee Kosterman at the wheel. Additionally, the LEGO Group and F1 ACADEMY revealed their first LEGO set together, now available for pre-order.

In 2026, Kosterman will serve as the premiere driver for LEGO Racing during her first full season in F1 ACADEMY. The 20-year-old Dutch driver has a rich history in the kart racing circuit and became the first woman to win in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup series in 2023, before going on to finish second in the Junior Cup and third in the overall standings. In 2024, Kosterman moved into single seaters with Indian F4 and made her F1 ACADEMY debut as the Wild Card entry at Round 5 of the season in Zandvoort, her home race.

Kosterman’s car features a one-of-a-kind LEGO Racing livery, infusing the high-performance world of F1 ACADEMY with elements of LEGO play. The livery, created by the LEGO Design team, represents both entities through colours and patterns, merged in a playful way bringing the thrill of brick building and racing to life, with a unique checkered pattern.

The stunning, merged livery of the car, the driver and the first product from the partnership were revealed at the Las Vegas event by Susie Wolff, Managing Director at F1 ACADEMY, Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at the LEGO Group, LEGO designers Beatrice Amoretti and Maria Jędryszek and hosted by Ariana Bravo.

This comes at a time where F1 is attracting new and younger audiences, with 42% of the Formula 1’s fanbase now consisting of women. Recent research by the LEGO Group shows that 87% of girls surveyed would like to see more opportunities for girls in motorsport, 75% think racing sounds exciting, while 52% could see themselves as an F1 ACADEMY™ or race car driver one day. At the same time, 82% of parents surveyed think it’s important for girls to see women represented in motorsport, but 76% think motorsport is often perceived as “more for boys”.

With this new partnership, the LEGO Group and F1 Academy hope to inspire young fans, especially girls to explore their motor racing passions, both on and off the track.

Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer of the LEGO Group, said: “F1 ACADEMY is levelling the playing field in motorsport, giving young female athletes a clear pathway to achieve their dreams in the top tiers of the sport. We can’t wait to see LEGO Racing join the F1 ACADEMY grid and are so excited to have Esmee as our driver. For the first time, fans can hold their favourite F1 ACADEMY LEGO car in their hands, and I’m thrilled that we’re securing female representation in racing toys for young girls. We hope the infusion of LEGO play and creativity to this exciting sport inspires the next generation of young women in motorsport, as well as the female builders of tomorrow, that anything is possible.”

Susie Wolff, Managing Director of F1 ACADEMY, said: “We’re so proud to welcome the LEGO Group as an Official Partner of F1 ACADEMY. This collaboration isn’t just about the possibility of building an F1 Academy LEGO car, it’s about building belief in what’s possible. With our first partnership product, fans will be able to create something that stands for opportunity and representation. We hope every young girl who picks up these bricks sees more than just a model, she sees herself, her potential, and her place in the world of motorsport whether as a fan, engineer, driver or leader. Together, we’re challenging outdated perceptions of who belongs in motorsport and empowering the next generation of young women to build their own paths.”

Esmee Kosterman, Driver for LEGO Racing, said: “To be the first driver for LEGO Racing is such an exciting opportunity, and I can’t wait to continue my racing journey with F1 ACADEMY. I’ve long been a fan of the LEGO brand, its creativity and what it stands for and to bring it to the track from the 2026 season onwards is incredible. I hope this inspires future generations of female drivers, that with hard work and determination, anything is possible!”

The LEGO Group also unveiled the LEGO Speed Champions F1 ACADEMY™ LEGO Race Car, the 201-piece set allows fans of LEGO Racing to hold their favourite car in their hands, and features intricate aerodynamic details, with the unique colourway and the #32 racing number, as featured on Esmee’s real on-track counterpart.

Additionally, the set is accompanied by a minifigure printed in a LEGO Racing colourway. The set brings F1 ACADEMY to life like never before, bringing the excitement from the track to the living room, reflecting the two brands commitment to championing female talent on and off the track.

As part of the first ever F1 ACADEMY weekend at the FORMULA 1® LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX, the LEGO Group will be presenting the podium finishers of both Race 1 and Race 2, with custom LEGO Botanicals Bouquets in a moment that celebrates what is possible when talent is given the opportunity and platform to thrive. Each bouquet is built out of close to 2,000 LEGO elements and weighs close to 1 kg.

The LEGO Speed Champions F1 ACADEMY™ LEGO Race Car available for pre-order now from LEGO.com and select global retailers, with the set hitting shelves starting 1st March 2026 in LEGO Stores worldwide.

About the Research
The research was commissioned on behalf of the LEGO Group and conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 4000 parents of girls aged 9-16 (aged 24+) (2000 UK, 2000 US) + 4000 girls aged 9-16 (2000 UK, 2000 US). The data was collected between 24.10.2025 - 30.10.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

Please find all currently available stills and videos here - additional assets to be uploaded live.

For more information on the wider partnership between the LEGO Group and Formula 1, as well as its full product line, fans can visit LEGO.com/F1.

Product Details:
LEGO® Speed Champions F1 ACADEMY™ LEGO Race Car

• Age: 10+ years
• Price: 27,99 EUR / 27,99 USD / 22,99 GBP
• Pieces: 201
• Product No.: 77258
• Dimensions: The set measures over 1.5 in. (4 cm) high, 2.5 in. (7 cm) wide and 7 in. (18 cm) long
• Available: 1st March 2026
• Link: LEGO.com/F1

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well”. Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. However, its products are now sold in more than 120 countries worldwide.

For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit www.LEGO.com/aboutus.

About F1 ACADEMY™
Launched in 2023, F1 ACADEMY™ is an all-female single seater racing series created by Formula 1® to accelerate the identification and progression of female talent in motorsport, both on and off the track. Now in its third season, the series features 14 races across seven rounds, all held alongside the FIA Formula One World Championship™️. Broadcast in over 160 territories by more than 35 broadcasters, F1 ACADEMY™ is also streamed live worldwide via its official YouTube channel and F1TV, bringing the next generation of female racing talent to a global audience.