Björn Ramant and the world’s longest LEGO racetrack – Interview
This year, the LEGO Group is working closely with Formula 1, releasing a slew of F1-themed sets across different lines like LEGO Duplo and LEGO Technic, and even a series of buildable, collectible cars in blind boxes. Tying into this F1 partnership, LEGO Benelux attempted to break the world record of building the longest LEGO racetrack, in Belgium of all places. Hot on the heels of our review of The Minifigure Vending Machine of LEGO-another Belgian creation- we were happy to attend this event.
It’s an impressive sight for sure. Walking through entrance 12 of the Benelux’ biggest shopping center, Wijnegem Shop Eat Enjoy, you’re greeted by an enormous ramp. It’s connected to a track that snakes into a nearby corridor. Next to it, bins filled with LEGO bricks. Throughout the day, shoppers will be building hundreds of race cars and launching them from the top of the ramp. But it’s still early when we arrive. The buzzing activity that surrounds the track comes from the crew, who are preparing for what’s to come today. We see tiny eyes from a lack of sleep, but we also see big smiles. It’s against this backdrop that we’re taking a few moments to talk with Björn Ramant, one of the people who made this all happen.
3rd-strike: Good morning! Let’s start with the most important question of the day. Did you succeed in breaking the previous world record?
Ramant: I’m happy to say that we did, and by quite the margin. The previous record was held by China, at 795 metres. We initially aimed for 800 metres, but managed to almost reach 900 metres.
3rd-strike: That’s an impressive feat. How do you even plan something like that?
Ramant: It takes a lot of brainstorming. There are a plethora of things to consider, including the limitations of the location itself. You’ll notice that the tables in the corridor aren’t all connected, for example, because the emergency exits needed to be freely accessible. We considered using things like vinyl to still connect these tracks, but this was something that wasn’t possible for fire safety. Another factor was how many tables we had available to put the track parts on. Of course, this being LEGO, the element of play is also crucial, which is why visitors can build their own race car and launch it from the ramp.
3rd-strike: We did see that there were instructions next to the brick bins, but we’re also seeing people launch their own creations and some people that even brought their own LEGO cars from home.
Ramant: That creativity is something the LEGO Group encourages as a brand of course. Most of the track itself is kept fairly straightforward, but as you’ll notice, where there was room our crew was also able to add small personal touches like archways. That’s something that also fits with that philosophy.
3rd-strike: Speaking of crew, how many people worked on the track?
Ramant: We had a crew of 90 people. We started building at 9.45 pm last night, and we reached our target distance of 800 metres at around 00.30 tonight. We then continued until 2.00 am, including adjusting the ramp so that the cars would slow down without shooting off the track.
3rd-strike: How many bricks are in the track?
Ramant: Roughly 200,000. That may not sound like a lot all things considered, but the track is mainly made up of 16 by 16 stud road plates, which take up quite a lot of surface area.
3rd-strike: Cycling back for a bit, can you tell us a little something about your own history with the LEGO Group?
Ramant: I rediscovered my passion for LEGO in 2016, as a way to de-stress. In 2020, I took part in the Benelux version of the LEGO Masters TV show. That turned out to be my jumping off point. My work was noticed by organisations like Tomorrowland, who asked me to recreate their main stage in LEGO bricks. Soon enough, building things with LEGO bricks was my secondary occupation. When a spot opened up as a LEGO Certified Professional, I applied. Since late 2022, it’s become my full-time job.
3rd-strike: What other projects have you been working on recently?
Ramant: A recent one was a series of models related to project Artemis, the lunar rocket that is being built right now. I built that capsule, 111 Mars Habitat and Neil Armstrong planting the US flag on the moon. Those models are in Vancouver now, for a Canadian exhibit which runs until 2026. And next week I’m off to Ibiza for another project for Tomorrowland.
3rd-strike: How long do our readers have to come and admire the race track?
Ramant: Unfortunately, it’s being disassembled tonight already. We won’t completely break it down, so what parts of the track can be reused in the future. At 8.00 pm, we’ll begin deconstruction, so by the time your article goes online, the track will be gone already.
3rd-strike: Sounds like a weekend with little sleep. Thank you for your time.
We’d once again like to express our gratitude to the LEGO Group and Björn Ramant for inviting us to the event. Be sure to visit Björn’s website to take a look at some of the creations discussed here, as well as the LEGO website to check out the range of F1 products.
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