The Lego McLaren Formula 1 edition is one of the biggest Legos to ever exist. With more than 1,400 pieces, all neatly sorted in little bags, the papaya-orange bricks were vibrant and the instruction book was so thick, I felt like I was holding my history textbook. This was not going to be like the Lego sets I built as a kid. I loved building cars since my childhood, and building this was on a different level.
All good race cars begin with the base, and that is where I started. The motor took shape piece by piece with small gears, axles, and connectors, which were one of the biggest parts. By this point, I knew this was going to be a challenge that would test my patience. It took me at least an hour just to get through the first bag, and then I realized I had 8 more to go. After installing the pistons, the engine actually functioned—pushing down on it caused the small pistons to move, just like in a real Formula 1 car.
Next was the suspension system, and this was the hardest part of the build for me because fitting the small pieces together took some work. But once finished, it made the chassis – the base of the car – move a little when pushed down, just like a real car would. Next was the steering system, which was my favorite part because the wheel actually rotated the front tires, something that a lot of LEGO builds don’t have.
Sure enough, with each build, there’s that one annoying moment. For me, this was a little black connector that just vanished at the worst time possible. I looked everywhere around my house. I spent 20 minutes under my bed. I don’t recommend building any LEGOs on a bed, because I kept losing pieces.
The internal mechanics were complete, and it was time to build the sleek McLaren body. The orange panels snapped onto the chassis, creating a perfect aerodynamic look. Putting the stickers was also very tricky as one tiny misalignment would mess up the look. Aligning them took a level of focus I didn’t know I had, but when done, the car looked realistic, like a real f1 car.
The final steps were the most satisfying. The wheels attached with that satisfying LEGO click, shaping the car into its proper racing form. And of course, I attached the adjustable rear wing, since an F1 car is not really an F1 car without aerodynamics.
When done with my Lego, I bought a wall stand, which was separate and did not come with the set. I attached the Lego to the wall in my room, and it looks amazing.
Overall, I loved building the LEGO McLaren F1 car. For the build experience, I would give it a B+, as it had too many small pieces which were hard to put together. For the looks I’d give it an A+ as it looks realistic. I highly recommend buying this specific Lego set if you are a car lover, or even if you just like building Legos.