With the 2025 F1 Academy season set for a dramatic finale in Las Vegas, the attention is drifting towards 2026. Team announcements are here, painting a picture of a season promising fresh new rivalries, liveries and a new partnership.
LEGO Joins the Race with a Young Dutch Star
Unveiled beneath the neon lights of Las Vegas Street Track, The LEGO Group Racing launched their bold 2026 season livery. Their debut marks the arrival of one of the most iconic creative brands into the world of F1 Academy. They have chosen Dutch talent Esmee Kosterman to lead their project in 2026.
Fresh off her first F1 Academy wild-card appearance in Zandvoort, Kosterman returns for a full season in 2026. Besides the livery and team colours, Kosterman also appears in the newly introduced Speed Champions set. As F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff called the partnership “a pinch-me moment”. For the first time, female fans can build a LEGO set with real representation for them. It brings new opportunities as well as visible progress of the series.
The LEGO set – designed by Beatrice Amoretti and Maria Jędryszek – is currently available to pre-order on LEGO’s website, followed by a global retailers launch coming on 1st March 2026.
Familiar Faces Back for More in 2026
While LEGO’s arrival is one of the many talking points in the F1 Academy paddock this weekend, it is certainly not the last. The 2026 grid is already taking shape with some familiar faces. Alisha Palmowski returns to Red Bull Racing after her rookie year that delivered four podiums and a race win. With experience now on her side, Palmowski will be eyeing top steps again in 2026.
Rafaela Ferreira also stays under the Red Bull umbrella for another season with Racing Bulls. She will build on her rookie season that keeps her waiting for her maiden podium. She will be eager to make that dream happen next year, potentially climbing even higher to score her first win.
McLaren remains the only outfit running two drivers, with Ella Lloyd returning for a second season and Ella Stevens stepping in as a debutant. Interestingly, their junior programme signed another for the trio of Ellas recently: Ella Hakkinen.
A Fresh Start for Billard
There are also new talents coming to the series in its 4th series. Besides Kosterman, supported by LEGO, Lisa Billard will be another rookie. The French driver with an Iron Dames background will start her first full campaign with ART Grand Prix, supported by Gatorade. The sponsorship expands beyond the racetrack, with Billard enjoying Gatorade Sports Science Institute’s guiding her hydration and nutrition too.
A Milestone for Representation
Every Formula 1 team has now reaffirmed its commitment to supporting a driver and livery in F1 Academy on a long-term basis. With Cadillac set to join the F1 Academy grid in 2027, opportunities continue to expand for young women.
Susie Wolff emphasised that’s why LEGO’s presence is more than symbolic. It widens the pathway for future female fans, engineers, drivers and leaders. It shows that motorsport is a space where every ambitious young girl belongs – a clear message coming just days after Sky Sport’s Halo disaster.
The Last Dance for Several Stars
For some drivers, the Las Vegas finale marks the end of their F1 Academy journey, due to the current two-season limit. That could change for some current rookies, as F1 Academy implements a new rule for 2027, granting an exemption to race in the series for drivers who raced the two previous seasons. That doesn’t help the championship protagonists Doriane Pin and Maya Weug. Along with others like Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann or William’s Lia Block, they will bow out after their final laps under the Nevada lights.
Where these drivers head next remains uncertain, but their talent and influence are undeniable. The hope throughout the paddock is that new opportunities await them and that F1 Academy’s mission continues to open doors for young girls in motorsport.