The podium at Silverstone has witnessed countless iconic moments over Formula 1’s 75-year history, but Sunday’s British Grand Prix delivered something entirely unprecedented. As Lando Norris hoisted his winner’s trophy above his head, the familiar weight of silverware had been replaced by 2,717 meticulously arranged LEGO bricks forming a perfect replica of the legendary RAC Trophy. The Danish toy giant had pulled off what might be the most audacious trophy design in motorsport history, transforming childhood nostalgia into championship hardware that somehow managed to honor tradition while completely reimagining it.
This wasn’t some corporate stunt masquerading as innovation. LEGO designer Samuel Liltorp Johnson, a lifelong F1 fanatic, had spent months perfecting a design that could survive the chaos of champagne-soaked celebrations while maintaining the gravitas befitting motorsport’s most prestigious silverware. The result stands as a masterclass in functional design that happens to be built from toys.
Designer: LEGO
The engineering challenge here was genuinely fascinating. Creating a 59-centimeter trophy that weighs over 2 kilograms using nothing but standard LEGO elements requires serious structural thinking. Johnson and his seven-person build team invested 210 hours into ensuring these trophies could withstand the inevitable post-race mayhem without crumbling into expensive plastic confetti. Every brick came from LEGO’s regular catalog, meaning theoretically any dedicated fan could recreate Norris’s trophy at home, though good luck sourcing 2,717 gold-colored pieces without bankrupting yourself. The technical specifications read like a love letter to both precision engineering and childhood wonder: each trophy incorporates a miniature F1 car mounted on the front face, crowned with a golden brick that serves as both aesthetic flourish and structural keystone.
What makes this collaboration genuinely brilliant is how it respects the RAC Trophy’s 75-year legacy while injecting playful irreverence into F1’s often stuffy traditions. The original RAC Trophy carries the engraved names of every British Grand Prix winner since 1950, from Giuseppe Farina to Lewis Hamilton, making it arguably F1’s equivalent to the Stanley Cup in terms of historical significance. Johnson’s LEGO interpretation captures every curve and proportion of that iconic silhouette, proving that homage doesn’t require slavish imitation. The second and third-place trophies feature red and blue detailing respectively, while the constructor’s trophy sports dark blue and gold accents, creating a cohesive family of awards that photograph beautifully under Silverstone’s podium lights.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect for both brands involved. F1’s ongoing mission to attract younger audiences aligns seamlessly with LEGO’s recent push into adult-focused collectibles, evidenced by their increasingly sophisticated Architecture and Creator Expert lines. This partnership builds on LEGO’s earlier F1 initiatives, including the driveable brick cars that caused such a sensation at Miami earlier this season. For a sport sometimes criticized for being too corporate and sanitized, handing drivers toys as trophies represents a refreshing embrace of pure joy. Watching Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Nico Hulkenberg genuinely delighting in their brick-built hardware reminded everyone why we fell in love with both F1 and LEGO in the first place.
