Formula One’s decision to put drivers in Lego cars for Sunday’s British Grand Prix parade lap has been criticised by top drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. “We should not look like kids and clowns,” the Sky News headline reported, capturing the frustration among the sport’s elite.
But as the drivers voiced their displeasure, a very different spectacle unfolded on the same Silverstone circuit earlier this week. M&S staged the first-ever runway show on the iconic pit lane, transforming one of motorsport’s most recognisable locations into a striking catwalk against the backdrop of working garages and race cars. Fifty models strutted down the makeshift runway as part of the retailer’s multi-year partnership with Silverstone, just days before the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2026.
“F1 drivers criticise Lego car parade as M&S stages first pit lane fashion show at Silverstone.”
Sharry Cramond, Marketing Director for Fashion, Home & Beauty at M&S, described the event as “a really bold step” and “something that no one has done before”. She added: “Silverstone is where sport, music and culture come together, and our Dress to Thrill edit captures that perfectly.”
Guests from fashion, sport and entertainment attended, including M&S ambassadors Jodie Kidd and Oliver Proudlock. Kidd, a fashion model and TV personality, said she was “absolutely speechless” by the drama of 50 models walking with the backdrop of roaring engines. “It was the best catwalk show I think I’ve ever seen,” she said.
The sharply contrasting events — drivers complaining of a childish gimmick while models brought high fashion to the track — highlight the growing tension between F1’s traditional image and its expanding cultural footprint, with the season expected to draw a global audience of more than 1.8 billion viewers.