Everything You Want to Know About LEGO F1

LEGO has long had a close connection to motor racing, having released hundreds of racing car-related sets over the years. With the recent announcement of a multi-year partnership between LEGO and F1 racing, we thought we'd take a look at the history of LEGO Formula 1.

The Early Days

LEGO first entered the world of F1 in 1975 with the release of the 392 Formula 1 set. There was a far greater diversity of car designs back then, compared to the modern era, where tight regulations mean each car appears almost identical. However, the set did a decent job in capturing some of the classic aerodynamic features of the time. The car doesn't appear to be based on any particular manufacturer and the choice of the Shell branding was driven by LEGO's partnership with the Dutch oil giant at the time.

A year later, the 695 Racing Car came along, which appears to be based on the Lotus 77 based on the black and yellow colour scheme.

The 1980s

After those two early instalments, LEGO took a long pit stop from Formula 1 until the mid-1980s. The most detailed model from this decade was the 5540: Formula 1 Racer, which was one of the first sets to be released under the advanced Model Team theme. This was the first F1 car to feature Technic pieces that allowed the front wheels to be turned when moving the steering wheel. Another nice feature was a removable engine hood, which exposed a detailed engine complete with fuel pipelines. The white and red colour scheme suggests that the McLaren MP4/2 was an inspiration for the model.

One of the best entries in LEGO's F1 lineup, full stop, came from this decade. It was the 6395: Victory Lap Raceway, which gave you a whole home straight complex and a grid of F1 cars. All you needed to do was add a few road baseplates and you had yourself a circuit. It's a set I spent hours playing with in my childhood and is as nostalgia-packed as they come.

The 1990s and 2000s

The 1990s was a pivotal decade for brick-built F1 cars, as it saw the beginning of LEGO's partnership with Ferrari. This saw sets replicating real-world F1 cars to be released for the first time, which significantly widened their appeal. This started with the 2556: Ferrari Formula 1 Racing Car in 1998 and many more sets of the Prancing Horse followed.

Williams also struck up a collaboration with LEGO and the result was the 8461: Williams F1 Team Racer, which represented a first-class display model and is still one of the best F1 cars LEGO have ever made. If there was ever a set that showed the complexity of a Formula 1 car is best captured in LEGO Technic, then this was it.

The 2010s: Enter McLaren and Mercedes

The Speed Champions theme was introduced in 2015 and it opened the floodgates for pint-sized F1 cars. This also allowed McLaren and Mercedes to enter the mix - a welcome sight for anyone not part of the Tifosi.

Capturing all the angles of a modern F1 car is not easy at the smaller Speed Champions scale, but LEGO made some admirable attempts. In fact, LEGO steered clear of producing large F1 cars throughout the 2010s, with the only exception being the 42000: Grand Prix Racer.

Aesthetically, this is one of my favourite LEGO F1 cars to date. Its pared back elegance and white, red, and black livery make this a thing of beauty. Many will disagree as it had its fair share of foibles, but if you only want to stare at it on a shelf, it's a must have for any motorsport fan.

The 2020s: A Full Grid

The 2020s have got off to a strong start, with numerous F1-inspired sets being released across a number of themes. Some of the best of these are the 2023 McLaren Formula 1 Car (76919) and Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car & AMR23 (76925), which do an excellent job at capturing the angles of a modern F1 car at a small scale.

Recently, LEGO announced that 2025 is going to be the year of LEGO F1 and it will mark the beginning of a multi-year strategy. Both brands have seen large growth since the Covid-19 pandemic and both also share a young fan base. It seems like a match made in heaven then and I expect the 2025 wave will be immensely popular.

LEGO have announced that every F1 team on the grid will be represented in some form in the new partnership. This is great news as Red Bull, arguably the most successful team in recent years, has been a notable absentee from the LEGO line up. With 2025 marking the 75th anniversary of the first F1 world championship race, I also expect some sets commemorating the sport's rich history. We could also see a lot of past and present drivers in minifigure form.

Closing Thoughts

The future looks bright for LEGO F1 and its likely to bring a lot more people and diversity into the LEGO hobby. It's certainly the most exciting time to be both a LEGO and F1 fan. Although it feels unlikely, I'd love to see the new partnership bring more sets that include F1 race track infrastructure, such as a home straight, grandstand, and pit lane, that would allow a full circuit to be easily constructed. I still yearn for a modern recreation of the Victory Lap Raceway, which for me still remains the pinnacle of LEGO motorsport.

Let us know in the comments below what your favourite LEGO F1 set and what sets you're hoping to see in 2025 and beyond.

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