Lego's Life-Size, Drivable Cars Turned Heads at the Miami Grand Prix

Even the drivers were blown away.

May 6, 2025

Even the drivers were blown away by the life-size Lego cars, which reached speeds of about 12 miles per hour. The Lego Group photo

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Miami got its first F1 rain race and a double podium for McLaren during this weekend's Grand Prix, but the real highlight of the weekend came during the Drivers' Parade, when Lego amazed spectators with a set of life-size cars crafted from the childhood staple plastic bricks. Racing fans got early glimpses at the big-build F1 cars at Hard Rock Stadium's Lego Garage, but no one expected the cars to be fully drivable two-seaters.

Even the drivers were blown away.

"This was the most fun Drivers' Parade we've ever had," Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said with a broad smile during an on-track interview after 20 drivers completed a full lap around the Miami International Autodrome.

He and other drivers took to social media to share funny moments, including Lego crashes and overtake attempts from the not-so-speedy racecars.

@lewishamilton
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♬ original sound - Lewis Hamilton

Built at a near 1:1 scale with Formula 1 cars and capable of reaching speeds of about 12 miles per hour, each car was constructed out of nearly 400,000 Lego bricks. A team of 26 designers, engineers, and Lego builders worked about 22,000 hours to build the ten cars.

"I've been a huge Lego fan since I was a kid," Jonathan Jurion, senior designer of the Lego Group: Big Build Design, told New Times. "I'm a huge Formula 1 fan, so this project feels like a dream...I'm proud of our team, and now seeing the kids stopping by and appreciating the cars, I hope it inspires them to build something."

Much like the drivers who got to hitch a ride this weekend, the Lego cars are going on the road. Following the exclusive reveal in Miami, all 10 Big Builds will embark on a global tour, stopping at future races and giving racing fans a closer look.

Rachel Costa is a Coconut Creek-based contributor who covers the food scene in South Florida for Miami New Times. She was born in Brazil and is a graduate of Florida International University. In addition to New Times, her work has appeared in Coral Gables Magazine and the Miami Times, and on WLRN.

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