When LEGO teamed up with F1 to roll out the Speed Champions series, I, being a big LEGO fan and a racing nut, was over the moon. This set, which hit the shelves on March 1, 2025, comes with ten F1 cars (77242 - 77251). Each box costs $26.99 and has one car and a driver figure. I just couldn't resist and bought the whole lot. Now that I've built the entire series, I'm super excited to share my building experience with you.
I. Surprises in Parts and Details
(1) Unique Part Usage
While building, you can really tell LEGO put a ton of thought into picking the right parts to make these F1 cars look just like the real deal. Like, all the cars' front wheel suspensions use this one new part. It not only keeps the structure the same across all the models but also nails the look of the real F1 front wheel suspensions. The steering wheels are all the same printed ones, and they're full of details. You can see all the buttons and markings, and it's like you can almost feel what it's like to drive an F1 car. The rear wing plates are the same part too, but they use different stickers to make each team's car stand out. The Sauber team's rear wing plate is green, which is really different from the black ones on the other teams' cars.
And here's a cool thing. The engine covers on the Mercedes and Aston Martin cars use parts from the Star Wars sets. Before, these parts were only in three Star Wars sets: 75348, 75361, and 75410. Using parts from different series like this makes building even more fun, and it makes the models even more special to collect.
(2) Abundant Sticker Details
Stickers are a big deal when it comes to making these F1 car models look real. In this series, the number of stickers is different for each car. The Sauber F1 car has the fewest, only 20, while the McLaren has a whopping 35. The stickers have all kinds of stuff on them, like team sponsor logos, car numbers, and technical markings. They're placed just right to make the cars look exactly like the real ones. But, let me tell you, putting on the stickers can be a bit of a pain. You have to be really careful or they'll end up crooked or have air bubbles. But when you finally get them all on and the car looks amazing, it's so worth it.
For example, the tip of the McLaren F1 car's front wing doesn't have a printed part, so you have to use a sticker. If you're building all 10 cars at once, you might start to think you're missing a part. It's like a little trick LEGO plays on us, but it's these little details that make building so much fun.
(3) Exquisite Design of Minifigures
The minifigures for each team are really cool. Their bodies are fully printed, and some of their heads are printed on both sides, with lots of little details. And get this, the helmets for all ten minifigures are brand new. They're different from the ones that used to open; these new ones can't be opened, but they still look really great. You can see the team logo, the driver's name, and all that on the helmets, and they look just like real F1 driver helmets. Another interesting thing is that there are as many male as female minifigures, five of each. It makes the whole series more diverse.
II. Building Process Experience
(1) Challenges and Fun Brought by Structural Differences
I thought building the ten cars would be a lot of the same thing over and over, but each car actually has its own unique structure, especially the main part of the car. The front wings of all ten cars are pretty much the same, which is like the real F1 cars. For the rear wings, about 70% of the building is the same, but the Sauber car has two supports on its rear wing, just like the real one, while the other nine cars only have one. You have to pay close attention to these little differences when you're building.
When it comes to building the chassis, different cars are also a bit different. The McLaren's chassis is held together with a single-point connection, and it's kind of tricky to build because it's not very stable and parts can fall off easily. But these differences in structure make building more challenging and also more rewarding when you finally finish a car.
(2) Design of Wheels and Tires
The wheels come in three colors: red, yellow, and white, and the tires are narrow in the front and wide in the back, just like real F1 cars. When you're building the wheels, you can tell LEGO put some thought into it. The different colored wheels match the colors of each team's cars, which makes the cars look even better. And the wheels spin really smoothly. After you finish building, you can push the car around on the table, and it's like you can hear the engine roaring.
III. Finished Product Display and Summary
After I finished building the whole LEGO Speed Champions F1 series, putting all ten cars together for a display was really something. Each car is like a little work of art. They show what each F1 team is all about and also how cool LEGO's ideas are for designing and building models.
Building these F1 cars wasn't just about putting parts together. It was also a way to learn more about F1 racing. From the parts they used, to the stickers, to the minifigures, every little thing shows how much LEGO respects and understands F1. Sure, there were some annoying parts, like putting on the stickers and dealing with the unstable parts on some cars, but overall, building these was really fun and satisfying. If you're into LEGO and F1, this series is definitely worth getting and building. It's a really cool way to bring the excitement of F1 into your home and enjoy it whenever you want.
If you're wondering how to show off these awesome LEGO F1 cars, you should check out our display boxes. They're made just for LEGO models. They're see-through, so you can see every little detail of the cars from all angles. They also keep dust and moisture away, so your collection stays in great shape. The inside is designed to fit these F1 cars perfectly. You can line up all ten cars and it looks like a real F1 track. Having one of these boxes not only makes your cars look better but also makes your collection feel more special. It'll be a really cool thing to have at home.
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