The new upcoming LEGO Technic F1 model developed under the license of the McLaren Formula 1 racing team got teased today on social feeds. Although none of the cars — neither the actual F1 car nor the LEGO replica — can be seen, it’s safe to say the new LEGO product will be executed in a scale of at least 1:12. Considering the model’s size, we expect it to consist of no less than 1,000 pieces with a corresponding price tag.
German LEGO fan Sven aka Tenderlok built an excellent model of the famous Tyrrell 019 Formula 1 car. The car debuted in the season of 1990 and set a whole new direction for racing engineers thanks to its innovative nose shape. The new “raised nose cone“ let more air under the car, which resulted in higher speeds. I think the brick-built front wing looks fantastic. The whole structure is actually upside down, with no open studs to be seen on both sides of the wing. This gives the model great model-making vibes as if it was glued together and painted by hand.
Sven also built the Cosworth V8 engine and worked closely on the cockpit. With the cowling removed, note the engine’s fairly detailed design. All the stickers are a nice touch, too.
Last year, British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton won his 6th world champion title. Although he has to win one more championship to equal Michael Schumacher’s achievement, his career statistics are remarkable, to say the least. Half of his success is, of course, his outstanding driving talent, but the other half is always the car. Noah_L pays tribute to incredible Mercedes-AMG F1 W10, which Lewis piloted during 2019 season. The scale of the model, which appears to be around 1:15, sets a whole bunch of designing challenges.
Formula 1 cars are known for their supersophisticated aerodynamic elements, which are always hard to build. But according to the builder’s comment, matching the livery was the most challenging part. Certain parts of the car’s body are colored in turquoise, which is the signature color of Mercedes’ sponsor, Petronas. Although more and more types of LEGO pieces appear in dark turquoise since 2018, the assortment is still pretty limited. However, Noah did a fantastic job recreating the livery as precisely as possible.
1967 was the year Formula 1 changed forever, as the birth of the Lotus 49 set the bar not only as the car to beat, but also to replicate. Fifty-two years on, Pixeljunkie has presented us with a gorgeous homage to this feat of engineering mastery. Sporting the classic colour scheme and markings of driver Jim Clark, this brick rendition has some stunning custom chrome pins as well as some nicely employed stickers to really bring the realism to the fore. Working within the Minifig scale can be an obscure challenge that restricts an amount of detail. I feel Pixeljunkie has made some excellent compromises without straying too far from the source material.
Looking at the rear of this beautiful build, we find a minifig hammer head used ingeniously as the gearbox. I’m not sure another piece could have been used so well in this application. I’m also a massive fan of the many uses builders find for the rubber tread attachments. Using them as wheel hubs on top those metallic silver dish rims, has really captured the era well.
If this open-wheel beast inspires you, check out another of Pixeljunkie’s classic race machines, the Alfa Romeo P3.
Masterful builder Jarek has turned his hand away from building incredible Star Wars models to something a little closer to home in our world, but still nearly as fast. This snazzy Formula 1 Ferrari has remarkably accurate lines, something that’s exceedingly difficult to accomplish in LEGO at this scale. In fact, LEGO’s official designers in Billund have tried their hands at this very car, which appeared in 75889 Ferrari Ultimate Garage. He’s captured the spindly nature of these heavily glorified go-karts, and even sitting still this thing looks fast.
Especially impressive, though, is that Jarek hasn’t overlooked the small details, like the exposed chassis and suspension at the car’s rear.
Formula-1 cars of the 1960s are things of beauty. They represent an earlier age where form and function seemed to balance perfectly. André Pinto’s model of a Ferrari 312 F1-67 is a beauty, glistening in its familiar red livery, bedecked with chrome.
Despite the vehicle being one of the racing team’s less successful models, primarily remembered for the tragic death of Lorenzo Bandini in Monte Carlo, it still pulls at the racing enthusiast’s heartstrings. André has lavished care throughout his build, from the sculpted bodywork through to the detailed V12 engine; it’s clearly a true labour of love.
1969 was a glory year for Jackie Stewart, dominating the F1 Championship in his Matra MS80 01; and it is the spirit of this golden age of motor racing that builder Luca Rusconi recreates in his version of the classic car. Luca is known for his detail perfect LEGO renditions of the sport’s most iconic cars, here capturing the distinctive ‘Coke bottle’ shape of the Matra with a range of perfectly aligned curved bricks. An array of smaller LEGO elements treats the Ford’s Cosworth DFV engine similarly. There’s no doubt that Luca’s interpretation of the Matra is as stylish and emblematic as the car it pays homage to.
The 2017 Formula One World Championship has just finished last weekend with a spectacular Abu Dhabi gran-prix. Even though the Renault F1 Team ended up in sixth place in the Constructors’ Cup, the car manufacturer is celebrating 40 years of competing in Formula One. There’s no better way to celebrate such an event than with a dedicated line-up of LEGO sets—not regular sets, but special ones developed exclusively for Renault under the LEGO Certified Professional license.
