F1 Academy, Formula 1’s (F1) all-female support series, has secured a major partnership with Lego Group that will see the toy giant field a car on the 2026 grid.
The multi-year deal, announced ahead of F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, builds on Lego’s wider existing deal with F1 and will see the Lego Racing entry compete alongside cars backed by each F1 team in the series from next year.
The Danish company’s car, donning a yellow, pink, blue, and black livery, will be driven by Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman.
Eighteen drivers from six teams currently compete in the series, with ten of the drivers receiving direct branding from F1 teams, featuring on both their cars and race suits.
Cadillac F1, the series’ newest team joining from the 2026 season, will sponsor an F1 Academy livery and driver from the 2027 campaign.
As part of the deal, Lego will also produce and sell a Lego set of the car as part of its push to engage girls in motorsport from a young age.
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff said: “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. Together, we're challenging outdated perceptions of who belongs in motorsport and empowering the next generation of young women to build their own paths.”
The Lego Group’s partnership with F1, first launched in 2024, has seen the introduction of F1-inspired products, including life-size Lego cars featured at the Miami Grand Prix drivers' parade and trophies made entirely from Lego bricks at this year's British Grand Prix.
F1 claims to have seen a huge surge in growth with younger fans in recent years, with its data showing that more than four million children aged 8-12 now actively follow the sport across the EU and US, while 54% of followers on TikTok and 40% on Instagram are now under 25 years old.
Julia Goldin, Lego Group’s chief product and marketing officer, 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.”
The new partnership comes just days after F1 reaffirmed its commitment to the F1 Academy, ensuring that all 10 current F1 teams continue to feature in the series.
The upcoming Las Vegas GP is the season-ending race on the 2025 F1 Academy calendar, which will take place as part of the race weekend from November 20 to 22.
The seven-race slate also featured events in China, Saudi Arabia, Miami (US), Canada, the Netherlands, and Singapore.
In 2024, F1 Academy was shown live in over 160 international territories and streamed live globally with 23 broadcasters airing the 2024 campaign.
That number was expanded to over 170 in the current campaign, and is now supported by a documentary series, F1: The Academy, situated on OTT streaming giant Netflix.
Netflix already hosts the long-running F1 annual docu-series Drive to Survive, which is credited with galvanising the sport’s global appeal, and F1 likely believes a series centred on its all-female developmental category can generate similar dividends.
