Day Four of our 12-day festive countdown feature looks at how Formula 1 teamed with LEGO to celebrate its 75 year-anniversary at the Qatar Airways British Grand Prix.
The 2025 British Grand Prix was already set to be a landmark occasion – the 75th anniversary of the very first Formula 1 World Championship race – but few expected one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend to involve thousands of tiny plastic bricks.
For the first time in the sport’s history, the top three drivers and the winning constructor received trophies built entirely from LEGO elements. Commissioned as part of the ongoing multi-year partnership between F1 and The LEGO Group, the trophies were designed to bring a playful twist to one of motorsport’s most traditional ceremonies.
The idea was rooted in history. Rather than creating something from scratch, LEGO designer Samuel Liltorp Johnson opted to replicate the iconic Royal Automobile Club trophy awarded to the winner of the British Grand Prix.
Working closely with Formula 1 and Silverstone, the LEGO team blended heritage with creativity to deliver a set of trophies that were both instantly recognisable and strikingly original.
Each trophy was a feat of engineering. The winner’s version – claimed by home favourite Lando Norris – contained 2,717 LEGO bricks and weighed over 2kg, the second- and third-place trophies featured white bricks with red and blue detailing, while the constructor’s award was finished in dark blue and gold.
“The Formula 1 British Grand Prix 2025 at Silverstone presented an opportunity to do something truly unique to celebrate a major anniversary, as well as surprise and delight builders around the world,” Emily Jacobs, VP of In-Bound Licensing, Entertainment Partners & Content at the LEGO Group told Sector.
“Seeing our incredibly detailed LEGO trophies on the podium, then in the McLaren garage after the race, was a real pinch-me moment and a highlight from a season already full of highlights for the LEGO brand, together with Formula 1.”
Seeing our incredibly detailed LEGO trophies on the podium, then in the McLaren garage after the race, was a real pinch-me moment.
Emily Jacobs
For F1, the activation continued an evolving strategy of collaborating with lifestyle and consumer brands to broaden its reach. The LEGO partnership has become one of the sport’s most effective family-focused initiatives, designed to bring new audiences into F1 through immersive, creative experiences.
The trophies were also a visual spectacle. TV broadcasts and social media feeds were flooded with images of Norris, Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg hoisting the colourful creations into the air – a contrast to the usual silverware and one that delivered global attention in the hours following the podium ceremony.
“This brought a playful moment to one of the key races in the calendar, and working together with Formula 1, Silverstone & the Royal Automobile Club to realise the vision was a dream come true,” added Jacobs.
“And a huge thank you again to Samuel Liltorp Johnson in the LEGO Design team for his amazing trophy creations!”
It was a reminder of the power of unexpected moments in F1’s commercial landscape. A 210-hour build, using thousands of bricks, to deliver one of the most charming activations of the season.
The trophies ultimately became part of one of the most memorable British Grands Prix in recent years. McLaren pair Norris and Piastri continued their fierce title battle with another wheel-to-wheel showdown at Silverstone, while Hulkenberg claimed the first podium of his long F1 career for Sauber.
For fans, it was proof that even at the most historic race on the calendar, there is always room for a little reinvention – and a lot of imagination.
