Lando Norris drove a McLaren made of LEGO at Silverstone

If LEGO Technic supercar models no longer need an introduction given their global success, a brand new model, a little bit special, deserves to be properly introduced: the life-size and fully-drivable McLaren P1!

For nine years, the collaboration between McLaren and LEGO has seen the creation of many famous replicas such as Lando Norris’ MCL36. But last August, the two companies took on the ultimate challenge – to create a life-size LEGO Technic version of the McLaren P1. The goal was to drive the car on the legendary Silverstone circuit.

More than 8,000 hours of work

The completion of this project required a team of 23 specialists from LEGO and McLaren organizations, with 8,344 hours of development and construction, including 6,134 hours dedicated to development and 2,210 to production.

Built around the transmission, braking system, wheels, and tires of the P1, the rest of the vehicle consists of 342,817 LEGO Technic bricks, with a total of 11 elements specially molded for this unique vehicle.

Optimized for stiffness and strength, this replica weighs only 1,220 kilograms, about 100 kilos less than the original. Powered by a system consisting of an electric car battery and LEGO Technic function batteries, this LEGO supercar can reach speeds of between 50 and 60 km/h.

A lap of Silverstone by Lando Norris

This is a world first, as it is the first large LEGO vehicle equipped with a fully functional steering system, allowing it to take turns. As a result, the car was entrusted to Formula 1 driver Lando Norris to complete a full lap of the Silverstone circuit.

At the end of a quick lap, the British driver shared his feeling in a video released by LEGO and McLaren: “I felt like I had a car, actually, the steering was pretty good. Copse, I took it flat out and the mirrors slightly clipped. It’s incredible!”

Lukáš Horák, LEGO’s senior project manager, could not hide his joy at such a sight: « It was incredibly cool to see Lando Norris drive the car we created. McLaren’s automotive and technical expertise has been invaluable in helping us produce a model as faithful as possible to the original McLaren P1.

Many challenges to overcome

The implementation of such a project inevitably generates constraints. Among them, the lack of space was one of the most complicated to solve.

One of the biggest challenges was space, or rather the lack of space, as the P1 is a very compact and agile car. But we had to make sure that there was enough room for conventional steering and suspension while creating a rigid structure using layers of Lego Technic elements,” said Lubor Zelinka, head of LEGO design.

Although it is mainly made from LEGO Technic parts, the car retains some original elements, such as the wheels, the steering wheel, or the flexible bodywork built around a steel frame. A real puzzle for Zelinka and his team: « For the yellow bodywork, months of practical tests and construction were needed before reaching the final design.

Jonathan Beaumont, Senior Director of Vehicle Engineering at McLaren Automotive, also highlighted the difficulties encountered with the powertrain group: « What we did, was perform simulation tests for them (McLaren), to prove that with the power and weight they have, the car would be capable of completing a lap at Silverstone »

The choice of an iconic model

Jonathan Beaumont explained that he chose this particular model because it is a legendary vehicle that has made its mark in the history of supercars. This car was an icon of its time. I hope that thanks to this collaboration with the LEGO Group, we will be able to inspire the next generation of designers and engineers to push the boundaries of automotive innovation.

The P1 replica is now ready to embark on a world tour in order to be presented at various sporting events.