Company Profile - One for Fun

One For Fun in pole position ahead of F1 year

Summer 2025 sees the release of a new big-screen blockbuster starring Brad Pitt, all about the adrenaline-fuelled sport of Formula 1 racing. Imaginatively titled F1, the movie looks set to rev up fans of motorsport across the globe. In this piece, David Mordecai, CEO of One For Fun, tells Toy World readers why the company’s range of F1 toys will see it top the podium.

2025 is destined to be the year of Formula One racing, and there are plenty of toys lining up in a bid to be first past the chequered flag. David Mordecai, CEO of One For Fun, is no newcomer to the world of F1 licensing. He has strong personal ties to the vehicle sector in its myriad forms, dating back to the eighties when he worked with Amerang. This longstanding connection, and his deep love of motorsport, makes him even more enthusiastic about the coming year.

The big on-screen story for 2025 is the new movie starring Brad Pitt. With Lewis Hamilton’s own production company, Dawn Apollo Films, at the wheel, F1 will be released in the UK in June 2025. Lewis also stars in the film, and it’s anticipated that several other drivers and principals will also be involved, making it more than likely the movie will be a box office smash hit. And as with any film of this nature, it’s predicted that sales of F1 merchandise, including toys and collectibles, will soar.

Enter One For Fun, the exclusive distributor for F1 licensee Bburago in the UK and Scandinavia. “Bburago works in a different way from other brands in this space,” explains David. “The company holds licences with each individual team, rather than the one overall licence with Formula One. This means the vehicle designs have to be signed off by each of the teams one at a time… it’s a longer process, but it does mean that Bburago model cars are 100% accurate in every way, right down to the last detail. This matters to serious collectors.”

Over the last five years, Bburago has worked hard to build on its connection with the various F1 teams. The company

started out with Ferrari and then added Red Bull. David tells us One For Fun then requested Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin to be added to Bburago’s portfolio, helping to drive its business forward, and in 2023, the company fielded even more vehicles across the teams, both in core vehicles and radio control. “The Maisto and Bburago business has grown rapidly over the last year through One for Fun,” David says.

“I really admire the work that has been done by Liberty Media, the owner of F1, to elevate awareness around it,” he adds, explaining how the image of the sport has been changed to make it far more accessible to families. “Ten years ago, F1 was a sport mainly for adults (usually men). Liberty Media’s efforts have really opened it up to a far wider audience, and the new products we’re seeing come onto the market will only enhance the wider appeal of the sport.”

Formula One is certainly big business. The sport as a whole is worth around $18b, with the 10 F1 teams worth a total of $23.1b. In the US, the sport is enjoying strong growth; there are now three Grands Prix in America, a country traditionally dominated by Nascar racing. The Las Vegas Grand Prix was added to the race roster in 2023, and the addition of a new General Motors team in 2026 will highlight the American connection still further.

On this side of the pond, David is seeing success with toys based on British teams and drivers. In early December, he told us: “This week a major British retailer made a point of telling me how sales of Lando Norris cars and merchandise have gone through the roof, even though the cars are a year behind the current design. McLaren sales have soared drastically.”

It helps that most of the top teams are based in the UK. In fact, six of the 10 teams are based here. David believes individual consumers make their choice of purchase based first on the driver and then on the team, while families are more likely to follow a team rather than a particular driver.

The Bburago range covers a range of price points across all F1 teams and include cars with helmets based on the various drivers. Each driver races under their own number, which they take with them if they move from one team

to another, and they enjoy a high level of freedom when it comes to designing their helmets. This artistic licence means Bburago has an ever-evolving slate of designs from which to work as it faithfully reproduces the cars and helmets as detailed scale models.

May 2024 marked 30 years since racing legend Ayrton Senna died while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. To commemorate him, McLaren produced a special liveried McLaren, the Senna Sempre, for the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, taking inspiration from Senna’s iconic helmet and Brazilian nationality. David says: “We will be producing the Senna Sempra McLaren car this year in both 1/43 and radio control versions. One For Fun will be the only place you can get it.”

London Toy Fair will see the introduction of over 50 new lines across die cast and radio control, including Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari cars - both with and without their respective driver’s helmets - as well as Aston Martin and Renault. Consumers will be able to show their love of their chosen teams by buying exclusive sets. This year also sees the introduction of pit stop dioramas depicting a high-octane pit stop scene, complete with accurate car details and team mechanics.

Visitors to One For Fun’s Toy Fair stand (E49) can also take a selfie with Lando Norris’ real helmet, which will be displayed under glass and guarded by security. Although, we are sure Lando has a spare lying around somewhere.