In a bold move that challenges the win-at-all-costs ethos of elite motorsport, the LEGO Group has launched its own racing team within the all-female F1 Academy series. The historic announcement was made in the vibrant pit lane of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, signalling a new chapter for both the toy giant and women in racing.
A Different Kind of Racing Pressure
While most teams measure success in trophies and championship points, LEGO's leadership has set entirely different Key Performance Indicators for its new venture. Julia Goldin, LEGO's Chief Product and Marketing Officer, made it clear that victory on track is not the primary objective.
"For us, the pressure is not whether this car is the most successful or Esmee wins the championship," Goldin stated during the Las Vegas unveiling. This unconventional approach prompted a noticeable reaction from Susie Wolff, the F1 Academy Chief Executive and former racing driver, who was seated beside her.
Goldin elaborated on the company's true mission: "The pressure is more that we are doing this in order to raise awareness, in order to build belief, in order to build excitement. Those are the results, those are the KPIs, at least in my view, of what we want to accomplish together."
Building More Than Just Cars
The partnership extends far beyond traditional sponsorship. LEGO isn't merely placing its logo on a car; it's creating a comprehensive ecosystem designed to inspire young girls. The company will release buildable versions of its F1 Academy car as part of its popular Speed Champions range, which already features models of all ten current F1 teams.
This dual approach—combining physical toys with real-world racing—aims to create what Goldin describes as "a world of possibilities." She explained: "For little girls that want to race – and they think of it as a dream – actually having a car that they have built with a driver with long hair that sits in that car, that creates a lot of inspiration and credibility for the sport."
Wolff emphasised the significance of this strategy: "We certainly want little girls to see that there's a place for them in our sport. I think we're incredibly lucky that the sport has such a big female fan base now, and it's really about making sure that the next generation has the opportunity, through a Lego product also now, to see that motor sports and cars are not just for boys anymore."
The Driver and The Details
Behind the wheel of the distinctive LEGO Racing car will be 20-year-old Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman. For Kosterman, this represents a crucial career step that wouldn't have been possible without LEGO's financial backing. The car will race with the number 32, honouring LEGO's founding year of 1932, though Kosterman confessed she would have preferred her traditional racing number, 65.
While her corporate bosses may prioritise inspiration over victory, Kosterman's competitive spirit remains undimmed. "It's really hard to have expectations, because you don't know who is going to join [the grid]," she admitted. "But my goal is to put this LEGO racing car on the podium. I know it's a high pressure goal – but I like pressure."
The LEGO Racing team will join the grid next year in F1 Academy, the all-female series that receives substantial support from Formula 1 and its eleven teams, including the new Cadillac outfit. For Wolff, LEGO's commitment represents a landmark moment for the still-developing championship.
"What's most important for other brands to see is that a heavyweight like LEGO has chosen to come in and support F1 Academy and, like Julia said, not just in a small way, but in a big way," Wolff commented. "That means so much to us and gives us a lot of credibility, it gives us a lot of exposure, it helps us change perceptions. That's stuff that I hope other brands can at least be inspired by."
