F1 drivers amuse British GP crowd with Lego car chaos

SILVERSTONE, England — Formula One drivers took to the track in cars built of Lego bricks for a British Grand Prix parade lap on Sunday that amused the crowd with predictable scenes of chaos.

Several cars were beached in the gravel at the first corner, with Williams driver Carlos Sainz one of them and hitching a ride with McLaren's world champion Lando Norris.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the governing FIA, also joined the 22 drivers in the good-natured fun with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso—who qualified for the later grand prix in last place—first across the line.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who had suggested on Thursday he would miss the parade, took part as did Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who had criticized the stunt earlier by saying it risked making drivers look like kids and clowns.

The cars were 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. They carried the teams' 2026 liveries and driver numbers.

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. Also last year, the drivers lapped Miami's Hard Rock Stadium before the race in 10 life-size two-seater electric cars made of Lego. — Reuters