The LEGO Formula 1 collab really came out swinging. Not content to simply drop a couple of models of the most popular cars and leave it at that, the F1 collection spans 26 sets across five different themes (Speed Champions, City, Technic, Icons, and Duplo), featuring all 10 teams from the 2024 season, at price points ranging from $25 to $400. So from toddlers getting their first taste of F1 this season to gearheads looking to add another display piece to their collection, there’s something for everyone.
The Speed Champions Formula 1 sets stay true to the ethos of the theme: scale models of real cars that are as authentic as possible at minifig scale, with the sort of clever builds that are necessary to achieve that authenticity when you’ve only got 8 studs’ width to work with. Each vehicle from last year’s F1 season gets its own set (RRP $44.99 each). I got three cars to build and play with for this review: the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20, the Mercedes-AMG W15, and the BWT Alpine 524.
What you get
Each F1 Speed Champions set comes in at around 260 pieces (give or take), including a driver with a helmet and molded hair. Most of these are standard-ish pieces, with a few oddities in the mix, too. (Spoons and bull horns? For race cars?) There are a couple of new bits, as far as I can tell: the front wheel deflectors, and the curved rear wing.
Each set also comes with a sticker sheet that’s either impressive or terrifying, depending on your perspective. Race cars are always going to have a lot of stickers, I guess, but I know I’m not alone in my fear of putting a sticker on unevenly or upside down!
Finally, as a fun little easter egg, the instructions for each set include side by side pictures of the LEGO car and the real thing, with a comparison of a particular stat (a different one for each set). The W15’s fuel capacity: 110kg. The LEGO W15’s fuel capacity? “Infinite curiosity.”
The builds
Assembling the models is a pretty straightforward process, even with some slightly unusual building techniques. Each design makes clever use of “SNOT” (Studs Not On Top) bricks and hinges to attach pieces sideways and upside down in order to form the smooth curves of the bodywork and create the necessary connection points with limited space. The builds also make fun, creative use of existing LEGO parts. Those spoons I mentioned earlier? Wing mirrors. Cattle horns make good swan necks for the rear wing, it turns out, and a sword or ski can add just the right finishing touch to an engine cover.
There are a lot of similarities between the sets—which makes sense, given how similar F1 cars themselves are due to design regulations. Each model has the same vehicle base, identical builds for the front and rear wings, and very similar approaches to the cockpit. But just as the difference between real F1 cars is in the details, their LEGO equivalents still find places to stand out from each other—most notably, in the subtle differences in body shape and the different techniques used to replicate those in diminutive LEGO form. It’s actually quite fascinating to build a few different sets back to back, and to see those differences brought into focus.
Finished models
The finished models are impressive, authentic replicas of their real-life counterparts. Despite their small scale, there’s remarkable attention to detail in things like the slightly different shape of each vehicle’s engine cover, and in the way coloured LEGO bricks are used to replicate parts of the liveries—most noticeable in the colour blocking on the BWT Alpine 524. As is typical of the Speed Champions line, authenticity and blocky “LEGO-ness” (for want of a better term) combine to create a great display piece.
But note those words, “display piece”. These are models first and toys second, with builds that don’t really lend themselves to playing unless you’re comfortable with constantly reattaching and parts (or losing them). While the build techniques used to achieve the unique shape of F1 cars are clever, they also mean a lot of pieces are connected by just one or two studs, and don’t take much to fall off. Air intakes beside the cockpit and the camera mount behind the driver are the most egregious examples—a think a stern look would be enough to send them flying—but the wings and parts of the bodywork get knocked off easily, too.
A generous explanation is authenticity. F1 cars are built for speed, not durability, and the chaotic opener season opener in Melbourne last week as a good reminder of how much damage can result from even a tiny bit of contact. But that justification only goes so far, and if you want some LEGO Formula 1 action that can withstand a bit more play—especially if you’ve got a child who enjoys making things crash as much as my son does—then the LEGO City sets might be a better fit.
Final thoughts
But if you’re a LEGO and/or motorsport fan looking for the fun of a model (or models) you can have fun building and then proudly display, the Formula 1 Speed Champions line is worth a look. They’re a more affordable option than the Icons and Technic models (though still pricier than other Speed Champions sets), and with a set for each team, fans of the underdogs can get a piece, too.
Thanks to the LEGO Group for providing these sets to review!
Authentic recreations of 2024's Formula 1 rides, in diminutive LEGO form. Just make sure not to play to rough with them—F1 cars are delicate things, in brick form as much as in real life.
