[Saba Sports News] F1 Academy was founded in 2022 as an all-female single-seater racing championship led by former racing driver Susie Wolff, with a competitive level similar to Formula 4. The 2026 F1 Academy season consists of seven rounds and a total of fourteen races. The recently concluded Shanghai round was one of them and also served as the season opener for F1 Academy this year.
This year, the Danish toy manufacturer LEGO has extended its partnership with Formula 1 to F1 Academy, becoming a sponsor of 20-year-old Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman. According to new global research by the LEGO Group, 87% of girls surveyed want to see more opportunities for women in motorsport, 75% find motorsport exciting, and 52% can imagine themselves becoming an F1 Academy driver or professional racing driver in the future. Drawing on these insights, the LEGO Group has formed a multi-year partnership with F1 Academy, aiming to inspire young female motorsport fans to engage actively in racing through creative play and the power of role models.
In our view, the collaboration between LEGO and F1 Academy goes beyond commercial sponsorship; it sets an example for advancing gender equality in sports, bridging children and adults, and blending creativity with competition. The partnership not only raises the public profile of F1 Academy but also reinforces LEGO’s brand ethos of inspiring creativity and embracing diverse dreams.