By Alan Baldwin
SILVERSTONE, England, July 2 (Reuters) – Formula One drivers will do a lap of Silverstone before Sunday’s British Grand Prix in mini-cars made of Lego bricks, but Lewis Hamilton indicated it was one ‘race’ he would happily miss.
The stunt follows several F1 events in 2025 involving the Danish toymaker, an official partner of the sport.
“I’m not doing it,” the seven-times world champion said at a press conference on Thursday when the subject came up.
Pressed on why that might be, the British Ferrari driver said it was something he needed to “take offline”.
In Miami last year, the drivers lapped the Hard Rock Stadium in 10 life-size two-seater electric cars made of Lego, with Charles Leclerc driving Hamilton in the Ferrari one.
FERRARI ‘READY FOR MORE LEGO CHAOS’
Several cars collided and bricks were left scattered across the asphalt as drivers let their competitive instincts come to the fore.
“It’s the most dangerous part of the weekend,” was the wry comment from Hamilton, a nine-time winner at Silverstone and crowd favourite.
“So yeah, I don’t know whether or not I’ll be in the Lego car this year.”
Ferrari posted a picture of their Lego cars on social media, with Hamilton and Leclerc both tagged and the caption “Ready for more Lego chaos on Sunday”.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll said he was “indifferent” but other drivers were much more up for the challenge.
“I’m pretty excited for it actually,” said McLaren’s world champion Lando Norris. “If it’s like Miami was then I think whoever can make it back to the start line will be a winner already.
“As long as it’s safe and we all behave, which we shall, then it will be a jolly good ride.”
The cars for the drivers’ parade at this year’s race are each made of more than 28,000 bricks and capable of reaching speeds of up to 25 kph (16 mph) on standard go-kart wheels — a glacial pace compared to what follows.
They carry the teams’ 2026 liveries and driver numbers and weigh about 280 kg (617 lb), of which 65 kg is bricks.
A team of 20 designers, engineers and Lego builders at a factory in Kladno in the Czech Republic took more than 6,400 hours to create the cars.
Last July, the top three finishers at the British Grand Prix were rewarded for their efforts with trophies made of Lego.
And later, at Las Vegas, a Lego 1950s Cadillac made of more than 418,000 bricks and driven by actor Terry Crews was used to ferry the top three drivers to the podium.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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