Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Motorsport maverick Faten Amin, the first Bahraini woman in a host of top organising roles in the sport, has taken her journey off-road with her collection of unique Lego F1 sets.
The 39-year-old Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) digital content executive is blending her love for the sport with her relatively recent hobby of Lego set-building.
“I have 66 sets so far, but not all of them are built – about 14 to 15 sets are not built yet,” she told GulfWeekly during the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix held at the BIC in mid-April.
“I like to have a collection, rather than having one or two sets, and Lego kept bringing out more sets, so my hobby just keep on growing.”
But Faten is more than just a collector. She’s created a unique niche for herself by documenting her Lego builds through ASMR-style videos on TikTok, capturing the satisfying clicks of each piece coming together.
“When I build the sets, I do a video where it’s music-free to keep the focus on the ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) click, making sure that it is very clear,” she added.
Last year, Faten made history as the first Bahraini woman to serve as Clerk Of the Course (COC) for the FIA Formula 3 Championship during the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.
This year, in addition to her duties at the BIC, she had a dual role for the support races happening during the race weekend – deputy COC for the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East and chief communications for F2.
However, she was able to make time to stock up on new Lego sets, one of which she even got signed by the Ferrari duo of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
“Ever since I was young, I was always fascinated by Lego but I never had the time or budget for it,” she reminisced.
“However, that changed in 2019, when my husband bought me a Lego Movie Maker set because I do stop motion videos. The set could actually help me do stop motion with Lego, and it teaches you everything.
“He saw the set and knew it was perfect for me. Ever since then, I just kept on buying the sets that I wanted, like the Friends set, the McLaren, and it just grew.”
The first set that she worked on was a small speed champion car, which she completed in about 90 minutes.
Up next was the 2022 McLaren F1 car, which took her about 10 hours.
What started as a casual interest quickly transformed into a serious collection, with Faten now boasting an impressive collection spanning diverse themes, from F1 racing sets to botanical collections featuring delicate roses and tulips.
“When I’m building these sets, I can meditate with no thoughts at all,” she explained. “It just clears the mind. That’s what I like. I like to sit and clear my mind out of everything from life. That’s why I enjoy building it. It’s like my yoga session with building Legos.”
Her most challenging build to date was the Ferrari Daytona set, a 24-hour project she completed just a few days before giving birth – something that didn’t even hold her F1 organising ambitions, as she served as the COC last year while pregnant.
A veteran marshal since 2005, Faten has been a pivotal figure in Bahrain’s racing community.
Last year, she made history by becoming the first female Clerk of the Course for Formula Three – a remarkable achievement she accomplished while eight months pregnant.
Her collection reflects her motorsports passion, with numerous F1 and racing-themed Lego sets taking pride of place in her home.
She even treasures a small piece of carbon fiber from an F2 wing – a memento from her early marshalling days.
“I’ve always been passionate about motorsports,” Amin explains.
“From watching NASCAR as a child to marshalling at local races, it’s been a lifelong love.”
