LEGO racing chaos, football trolling and a British boyband – 8 moments you might have missed at the 2026 British Grand Prix

It was another blockbuster weekend at the British Grand Prix for round nine of the 2026 Formula 1 season, as the Sprint weekend brought up plenty of surprises and drama. Fans were treated to an abundance of wheel-to-wheel racing on offer throughout the field all weekend long, in what was a weekend to remember for the record-breaking 564,000 crowd.

On the track, after winning the Sprint on Saturday, it was ultimately a disappointing day for Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was plagued with issues before receiving a penalty to drop out of the points. Instead, it was a maiden British Grand Prix win for Charles Leclerc, whilst George Russell closed the gap to his team mate finishing second, and Lewis Hamilton took third to step onto his 16th podium at Silverstone.

However, those weren’t the only stories from the British Grand Prix weekend – so here are some off-track moments you may have missed...

LEGO minicar chaos

So nice they had to do it twice! After the spectacle of the Drivers’ Parade in Miami 2025, the chaos returned for Silverstone on Sunday – but this time, with individual LEGO Minicars. It took 28,305 bricks to create these mini-masterpieces – but less than a lap for the drivers to ransack them.

From the start there was mayhem just about anywhere you looked – from drivers getting beached in gravel traps to countless collisions and decidedly questionable tactics when it came to holding up the competition. Good thing penalties and track limits weren’t used...

Given how competitive these 22 drivers are, it's unsurprising that most of the lap was fierce, with Max Verstappen playing bumper cars into the back of Lando Norris and a heavy collision between Ollie Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto. However, some drivers decided whimsy was the way to win – with Liam Lawson heading any which way and spending minimal time on the actual circuit, and Norris picking up Carlos Sainz for a lift after the Spaniard’s own lap was halted.

Not only that, but multi-Olympic champion Mo Farah got in on the action. There’s no doubting he’s quick, but the distance runner amazingly was able to keep pace with the cars – despite retirement, he’s still got it!

Some of the drivers were pushing hard, and it was Fernando Alonso who used all that experience to get back to the finish line first – who knows whether or not this 'victory' was on par with either of his World Championship titles, but we’d have to assume so...

The Hamiltons take on a three-seater Ferrari

A home race week is always special for drivers. The support is unmatched, the circuit is familiar, and family members are often able to be in attendance. But for Hamilton and his racing driver brother Nicholas Hamilton, this home race week started off in an extra special way.

Before heading to Silverstone, the pair made a stop in Maranello to hop into a three-seater Ferrari F1 car. Lewis took to the wheel for some laps around the Fiorano Circuit whilst Nicholas sat at his right shoulder and proudly watched his older brother drive from closer than ever before – a mind-blowing change from over three decades supporting Lewis from inside the garage and chasing his own racing dreams.

There is nothing more special than sharing these moments with family and those that have supported the drivers throughout their motorsport journeys.

Home heroes

With five Brits on the grid for their home race, it was always going to be a special race – but we bet even they didn’t predict the outpouring of love all weekend long!

The fan stage was home to one of the most heartwarming moments of the weekend, as Hamilton, Norris, Russell, Bearman and Arvid Lindblad all took to the fore for a wholesome photo. Fans were quick to point out a slight resemblance to a certain boy band – welcome back, One Direction.

There’s nothing like your first home Grand Prix – and we reckon Lindblad would wholeheartedly agree. The Racing Bulls rookie went all out for his first British Grand Prix, with a unique helmet documenting his journey from the beginning of motorsport, all the way to earning points in his maiden Grand Prix this season. It was a touching reflection, and we reckon this weekend will now be amongst those highlights – after an incredible 7th place finish on Sunday.

Ask any of the British drivers about their favourite British cuisines, and they’ll likely say a chippy. It’s such a strong part of the national culture, so it was almost a no-brainer to get them putting some hard work in behind the fryers and see how it’s all done. Some took to it more naturally than others, but they absolutely put their backs into it – would you eat the meal they whipped up?!

In addition to his podium finish, Russell had another highlight of his home race weekend – meeting Oscar Piastri... Or that’s one way of looking at it! Piastri stopped to sign for an adorable young fan in the paddock, whom he clearly must have mistaken for Russell – uncanny.

Ever the unserious duo, Russell played along, commenting “Thanks bud, you’re my hero”. Truly heartwarming scenes.

McLaren say hello to Adele

Perhaps you weren't aware that one of the world's best-selling music artists was a huge F1 fan, but you will be now. Singer-songwriter Adele can't get enough of the sport, so before attending the Grand Prix, she took a special tour of the McLaren Technology Centre. The Skyfall singer enjoyed an interview with Norris, a tour of Zak Brown's office, simulator lessons with Piastri, and team radio practice with Andrea Stella – and judging by her constant laughter, she enjoyed every minute.

From supporting her son's karting dreams to watch parties with her friends in Los Angeles, the 38-year-old can't get enough of racing. And with Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly going viral for their karaoke performance of Adele's Hello, hopefully there are more crossovers to come...

World Cup fever continues

We’re deep into the knockout rounds at the World Cup, and the drivers have been loving every moment (maybe not all of the drivers). Sergio Perez turned heads on Sunday’s walk into the paddock as the Mexican driver donned his nation’s jersey – who just happened to be playing England later that evening in the last 16.

Wearing the opponent's merch on English soil was a great way to remind everyone where Perez's allegiances lie – and we assume there are no hard feelings...

On Saturday, the two football-mad Alpine drivers were challenged to a scoring competition on the fan stage, but they couldn't quite take their opportunity – a call-up for France or Argentina seems unlikely for the time being...

Alpine’s star-powered race prep

Speaking of Alpine, ahead of race weekend, the team brought in a guest star to their Enstone factory to amp them up ready for the British Grand Prix. Red Roses star and Rugby World Cup winner Ellie Kildunne paid the team a visit to talk all things elite sport and a champions mindset.

Gasly also enjoyed a pit stop further west at Jeremy Clarkson's famous Diddly Squat Farm Shop, where he parked up his race car and collected some food to take back to the paddock for the whole team. All of this must have helped with the race, as the duo claimed double points on Sunday.

Stars take over Silverstone

The British Grand Prix is one of the most popular weekends on the calendar for high-profile guests, and the 2026 edition took celeb spotting to a whole new level!

The paddock was filled with a strong line-up of British icons all weekend long, starting with actress and singer Hannah Waddingham taking time to wish Hamilton well ahead of Sunday’s race and stopping to say hello to Martin Brundle on the grid, of course.

Hollywood bigwig Hugh Grant spent time in the Ferrari garage, F1 the Movie star and Friend of F1 Damson Idris understandably looked at home trackside, Bridgerton actor Hannah Dodd was in her element, and comedian Greg Davies was a popular addition to the paddock.

In addition to a musical line-up worthy of a world-class festival, some of the line-up were spotted soaking in the action too, including James Arthur and Chase & Status, with other British musicians including D&B legend Goldie, ballad king Lewis Capaldi, and lead guitarist of Queen Brian May on the grid ahead of lights out.

Meanwhile, after their hilarious collaboration just days earlier, fans were quick to notice Adele in the paddock wearing an amusing t-shirt with the McLaren drivers’ faces on. It’s not hard to guess who the 16-time Grammy winner was rooting for!

There were also countless British athletes taking in the action over the duration of race weekend. The cast was led by one of the nation’s best-ever athletes, four-time Olympic Champion Mo Farah – not to mention a huge F1 fan – who put on a show when waving the chequered flag at the conclusion of the Grand Prix.

England’s double-Euro winning Lionesses were also out in force over the weekend, with Ella Toone, Alex Greenwood and Alessia Russo all taking in the atmosphere in Northamptonshire. With the World Cup not far from its climax, football was a strong theme within the paddock – with the likes of Gareth Bale, Jamie Vardy, and Phil Foden also in attendance.

Special liveries and helmet designs

As one of the most prestigious races on the calendar, one of the drivers’ favourite circuits, not to mention the home race of five drivers and three teams on the grid – Silverstone has a habit of inspiring special liveries and helmet designs, and this year was no different.

McLaren paid tribute to their racing heritage with a design inspired by the team’s first-ever F1 car, whilst Cadillac’s livery celebrated the 4th of July on America’s 250th birthday. In honour of their home race, Williams added hints of the Union Jack onto their FW48’s and race suits to mark the occasion.

Some of the home heroes marked their home race with an array of special helmet designs. Lindblad celebrated his first-ever British Grand Prix with a heartwarming design, full of illustrations documenting his journey from the start of his motorsport career. Meanwhile, Bearman donned a special edition helmet with his adorable mascot Obbie the bear front and centre.

Hamilton, on the other hand, reverted back to a classic for his 20th season as an F1 driver at Silverstone, sporting a helmet almost identical to his first one in F1. Along with the yellow base, Hamilton added red, blue and green racing stripes – with the only real difference being the Prancing Horse logo and the dazzling coating of glitter.

Valtteri Bottas and Perez both donned stars-and-stripes-themed helmets, whilst Oscar Piastri decided one helmet just wasn’t enough for such a special race weekend – the Aussie collaborated with three artists to create three distinctly unique helmets for each day of running.

Sainz debuted a bold red helmet, with his new FiftyFive brand logo front and centre, and Lance Stroll wore another standout special copper and bronze helmet.