LEGO transforms metro line into F1 racing train speeding through shanghai

LEGO’s F1 Train Takes Over Shanghai Metro for Chinese Grand Prix

To coincide with the return of the Chinese Grand Prix, LEGO China introduced a temporary design activation on Shanghai Metro Line 11. Developed by OLA – Our LEGO Agency Shanghai, the project transforms a metro train into a Formula One (F1)-themed environment, reimagining the commuter journey as a racing-inspired spatial experience.

Externally, the train is wrapped to resemble a full-length F1 car. The graphic treatment stretches across multiple carriages so that the moving metro train visually reads as a continuous racing vehicle traveling through the city. Because Line 11 connects central Shanghai with the Shanghai International Circuit, the intervention conceptually extends the race route into the city’s transit infrastructure.

The campaign also references a well-known urban transport moment associated with Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2, where a train passes directly through a residential tower. In this reinterpretation, the train is imagined as an F1 vehicle moving through the building, shifting the racing narrative from underground tracks to elevated urban space.

LEGO transforms Shanghai Metro Line 11 into an F1 train | all images courtesy of OLA – Our LEGO Agency Shanghai

LEGO elements turn Metro carriages into F1 team pit garages

Inside the train, the carriages are designed to resemble F1 pit garages constructed with LEGO elements. Graphic panels, structural motifs, and visual cues evoke the working environment of racing teams while adapting it to the spatial layout of a metro carriage. The interior also incorporates interactive details intended for observation and discovery during the journey.

More than twenty hidden ‘Easter eggs’ are distributed throughout the train interior. These references include small visual elements connected to F1 culture and recognizable figures within the sport, such as paw prints associated with Roscoe Hamilton and a minifigure reference to George Russell. The details invite passengers to examine the interior environment closely and identify references embedded in the design. Passengers who locate and share these details online while tagging LEGO China can participate in a prize-based social media activity connected to the installation.

The metro intervention forms part of LEGO’s global Build the Thrill initiative, which celebrates F1 culture through installations, storytelling, and interactive experiences that connect the brand’s building system with motorsport themes. Through the transformation of public transport infrastructure into a themed spatial environment, the project integrates branding, urban movement, and fan engagement within the everyday setting of the Shanghai metro network.

the design concept extends the racetrack into the city’s transit system

inside, metro carriages are designed to resemble F1 team pit garages

LEGO elements recreate the working environment of a racing pit lane

interactive design details encourage observation during the commute

more than twenty hidden Easter eggs are placed throughout the train interior

some references connect to figures and symbols from F1 culture

hidden details include Roscoe Hamilton’s paw prints and a George Russell minifigure

the interior adapts racing imagery to the spatial layout of a metro carriage

the installation forms part of LEGO’s global ‘Build the Thrill’ campaign celebrating F1

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project info:

name: The LEGO F1 Metro Grand Prix

designer: OLA – Our LEGO Agency Shanghai (In-house Agency at the LEGO Group)

client: LEGO | @lego

location: Shanghai, China

head of LEGO agency Asia: Annie Boo
creative director: Guo Jun
associate creative director: Shuang Sun
senior art director: Jace Wang
copy writer: Jiehao Xian
senior project manager: Jingjing Zhang
business partnering & ops​ director: Violet Wang
senior channel strategist: Josh Qiao

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom