Sixty years ago, Bruce McLaren steered his team’s M2B down the streets of Monaco for the very first time. This weekend, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will do it for the team’s 1,000th time (almost) – and LEGO decided that was worth marking with something a little more permanent than a trophy.
McLaren and the LEGO Group have unveiled two new co-created LEGO Editions helmets ahead of Monaco, with both sets featuring the drivers as LEGO minifigures for the very first time. For collectors who have been waiting on that particular detail, the wait is over.
Two Sets, Two Drivers, One Very Round Number
Both 793-piece display models recreate the special helmets designed for McLaren’s 1,000th world championship Grand Prix celebrations.
Piastri’s set pairs McLaren’s trademark papaya with his preferred blue tones, while Norris’ model leans into his signature fluorescent yellow palette and incorporates the number one he earned as world champion.
The Norris figure features a printed black and grey torso with his iconic LN logo, displayed alongside a printed plaque bearing his signature, the McLaren team logo, and his new 2026 number.
Piastri’s minifigure takes a more personal route. The Australian was clearly pleased with the result, saying in a video posted to social media: “Alright, everybody. I have got my own Lego figurine and it’s very me. They’ve done the hair incredibly well, I would say, it’s pretty representative of me. Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty good figurine of me, so I think it’s very cool, and I’m going to be keeping one on my bedside table from now on, because it’s not every day you get your own Lego figurine.”
The sets weren’t just designed at McLaren – they were designed with McLaren. LEGO Creative Lead Daniel Meehan said: “We worked closely with Lando and Oscar on creating their helmets for fans to build and display at home. They had some great ideas, which we cannot wait for fans to discover when building the sets at home. Creating such organic shapes at this scale always presents us with exciting opportunities for exploring new building techniques and creative parts usage. We hope fans will enjoy building – perhaps as they cheer on the drivers!”
The Sets Go Both Ways – Brick and Tarmac
The collaboration runs in both directions. Both drivers will take to the streets of Monte Carlo this weekend wearing real helmets directly based on the new LEGO sets – meaning the design process went from brick to track rather than the other way around.
The Norris LEGO set features a “1000 GP” graphic on the side of the helmet, which will be replicated on the racing headwear he’ll be wearing in Monaco. With this race, McLaren joins Ferrari as only the second team in Formula 1 history to reach the 1,000-start landmark.
The team has won 203 of its 1,000 F1 races, with 561 podiums and 177 pole positions. That’s a long road.
Earlier this year, Ferrari and LEGO released helmet replica sets based on the designs of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, also featuring driver minifigures.
Both of the Scuderia releases sold out instantly back in May, which gives you a reasonable idea of how quickly the McLaren sets might move.
Each set retails for $89.99 / £79.99 / €89.99 and is available now through LEGO.com and LEGO stores worldwide. For a minifigure debut tied to a once-in-sixty-years milestone, that’s not a bad shelf piece.
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