LEGO® Racing makes racing debut with Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman during F1 ACADEMY™ in Shanghai
SHANGHAI / BILLUND – This weekend, LEGO® Racing will make its official racing debut on the grid of F1 ACADEMY during the race weekend in Shanghai. Behind the wheel will be Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman, who will compete in her first full season in F1 ACADEMY as the first LEGO Racing driver.
The debut follows the multi-year partnership between the The LEGO Group and F1 ACADEMY™, which was announced late last year during the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025. By placing LEGO Racing on the grid, both organizations aim to inspire young fans—especially girls—to discover their passion for motorsport and creativity.
Striking LEGO Racing livery
Kosterman’s car will appear in a distinctive LEGO Racing livery, where playful color gradients and the iconic checkered pattern bring together the worlds of building and racing. The design symbolizes the shared mission: showing that talent and imagination go hand in hand.
Kosterman (20) previously built a strong reputation in karting and in 2023 became the first woman to win the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup. In 2024 she made her F1 ACADEMY debut as a wildcard driver during the home race at Circuit Zandvoort. Shanghai marks her first international race weekend as an official LEGO Racing driver.
International 2026 season
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
Montréal (Canada)
Silverstone Circuit (United Kingdom)
Circuit Zandvoort (Netherlands) – her home race
Circuit of the Americas, Austin (USA)
Las Vegas (USA) – the season finale
Inspiration on and off the track
The collaboration comes at a time when motorsport is attracting a new and younger audience. Earlier research by The LEGO Group shows that 75% of the girls surveyed think racing sounds exciting, and 52% can imagine themselves becoming an F1 ACADEMY driver in the future. With LEGO Racing on the grid, that ambition becomes tangible: an international platform where representation and opportunity take center stage.
Alongside the racing debut, the LEGO Speed Champions F1 ACADEMY LEGO Race Car 77258 is now available worldwide. The set, finished in LEGO Racing colors and featuring Esmee’s #32 race number, brings the excitement of the racetrack into the living room.
With its debut in Shanghai, LEGO Racing quite literally gains momentum: building, dreaming, and racing come together on the highest stage for female talent in motorsport.