LEGO Racing Hits the F1 ACADEMY Grid in 2026, With Esmee Kosterman Behind the Wheel, in First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership
Today, 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
You can read more in the official press release on LEGO.com.
Victor Dima
