Review: Mercedes-AMG W15, Aston Martin AMR24 and BWT Alpine A524
Posted by CapnRex101,
Continuing our coverage of the newly-released Speed Champions Formula 1 wave, we move to Mercedes, Aston Martin and Alpine. I have been pleasantly surprised by the variation across the grid thus far, really highlighting the differences between the actual cars.
77244 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team W15 E Performance, 77245 Aston Martin Aramco F1 AMR24 and 77248 BWT Alpine F1 Team A524 definitely include ample detail, though their liveries are perhaps not as eye-catching as some others in this series.
Minifigures
Although the minifigures are clearly not Speed Champions' focus, those in past Formula 1 sets have been brilliantly detailed. The driver from 76909 Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance & Mercedes-AMG Project One is a splendid example for comparison, making the new figure seem extremely bland.
The new helmets are appealing though, featuring dual-moulded visors in various colours. The green-tinted visor of the Aston Martin driver looks odd to me, but I love the combination of teal and trans-red on the Mercedes helmet, partly because these colours stand out when the driver is seated in the car.
All three minifigures come with hair pieces to replace their helmets and wrenches, used to pop out the wheel covers. Strangely, the Mercedes driver is one of just two carrying a black wrench, the other being the VCARB driver in 77246 Visa Cash App VCARB 01.
Reference
Source - mercedesamgf1.com
Source - wikipedia.com
Source - skysports.com
The Completed Models
Following a dominant period in the 2010s, Mercedes has struggled to adapt to the new design rules in recent years. The car developed for the 2024 season saw a slight improvement, better suiting circuits needing low downforce and looking more attractive too, thanks to the addition of more substantial side pods. This change in shape translates well to LEGO form.
The car's proportions look marvellous from all angles, as usual for these F1 Speed Champions sets. My favourite feature is most visible from the sides, where the halo and side pods combine to create a perfect straight line, which closely resembles the original car.
The front wing is completely identical between nine of the ten Formula 1 cars, apart from their colours, obviously. The Mercedes is the lone exception because its end plates are assembled with taller brackets than the others, adding red accents to the inner surfaces. Minor though the difference is, I appreciate such attention to detail.
Those highlights correspond with details on the air intake, where a couple of printed pieces are used. The 1x1 slope and 1x6 curved slope forming the nose are printed parts as well, while the teal and grey stripes on the side pods consist primarily of stickers. These stripes match the real W15, although the bodywork colours around the halo stanchion look messy.
Furthermore, I wish the side pods were a little more rounded, although I understand the use of 2x2x2 corner slopes because their shape is faultless from the sides. The airbox looks lovely as well, integrating 2x5 wedge slopes and 1x4 bows printed with the Mercedes logo pattern, which is among this car's most recognisable features.
The fin between the wedge slopes looks good too, using the darksaber blade from Star Wars. Similarly, I like the claw piece forming the DRS actuator and the rear wing looks superb on all sides, featuring some more stickers with accurate advertisements and a printed 1x1 tile for the warning light on the back.
77245 Aston Martin Aramco F1 AMR24 is probably the least interesting Speed Champions F1 set to me, given its similarities with the vehicle from 76925 Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car & AMR23. Certain features were bound to be shared between them, of course, but I still think the familiarity is worth noting for owners of last year's Formula 1 two pack.
For example, the side pods bear a close resemblance to those on the AMR23, greater than the similarity between this year's McLaren and its predecessor. However, I was impressed with the existing model and bringing forward many of its qualities, with the addition of some new pieces, is certainly no bad thing.
Even the yellow-walled medium tyres remain the same, albeit incorporating the new wider tyres for the rear. The wishbone suspension elements at the front are also new and look excellent, as does the curvature of the front wing. The printed elements for the nose are accurately decorated too, with all the correct sponsors.
I love the streaks of yellow on either side, consisting primarily of stickers, but using yellow 1x2 brackets under the mirrors. The green sections of the side pods could be improved though, as those stickers look noticeably darker than the green elements nearby. I think the actual curved slopes should have been green, as they were on the AMR23 pictured above.
The shade of green selected is debatable as well. No LEGO colour really matches the metallic green finish on real Aston Martin F1 cars and I think dark green would be too dark, so this was probably the best choice. I must also complement the design of the air intake behind the driver, which uses a black 1x1 round plate to recreate the pillars found here on the original car.
I like how the air ducts are constructed beside the airbox, including a couple of stickers for the Aston Martin's distinctive exhaust louvres. The rear wing also looks accurate, this time using a black right-angled connector with clip for the DRS actuator. This is indeed slightly bulkier on the Aston Martin than on the Mercedes, so careful attention to detail is clear.
Alpine's pink-accented car is one of the most recognisable on the grid. Although predominantly black, the blue and pink details are striking and translate nicely to LEGO form, particularly near the back. On the other hand, the fundamental design of the car is relatively simple, avoiding the complex compound curves seen on some other models.
Nonetheless, its overall shape looks fantastic and the low ground clearance consistent across the range is authentic, so the proportions of the car work well. As expected, the tyres and 2x2 dishes serving as wheel inserts are printed, although these dishes actually differ between the front and rear, which is a nice touch.
Two liveries were used during the 2024 season, distinguished by the use of blue or pink on the nose. Blue was more common across the season and looks splendid on the printed 1x6 curved slope, although part of me wishes LEGO had fully embraced the pink instead!
I do like the magenta backrest in the cockpit though, as well as the moveable halo. Admittedly, the driver sits relatively high inside, but their position looks realistic enough to me, considering minifigures' inherently squashed proportions. Additionally, the rounded side pods look fantastic, adorned with stickers and capturing accurate grooves on top, which are an unusual feature of the Alpine.
The airbox and bodywork underneath is notably basic, lacking the curved slopes found here on other cars. I do understand the need for simplicity based on the colours, but the shape certainly leaves something to be desired. Even so, the bands of blue, black, light royal blue and dark pink are stunning and not overly reliant on stickers, which I appreciate.
As normal, the rear wing incorporates a new 2x6 concave slope and this element is decorated with a couple of stickers. 29 stickers are applied across the Alpine, fewer than many Formula 1 sets, while the Mercedes and Aston Martin feature 32 and 33 stickers, respectively.
Overall
LEGO has continued to iterate and improve Formula 1 cars, so it is no surprise that these sets look as impressive as they do. Personally, I find the most colourful cars the most appealing, so my favourite of the trio is 77248 BWT Alpine F1 Team A524, despite the aforementioned issues with its bodywork shaping towards the rear.
However, there are really no weak links across the whole Speed Champions Formula 1 range. 77244 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team W15 E Performance is brilliant and 77245 Aston Martin Aramco F1 AMR24 is appealing on the whole too, albeit similar to last year's model. The price of £22.99, $26.99 or €26.99 is slightly higher than past Speed Champions sets, but feels just about fair to me given the new elements introduced this year.
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17 comments on this article
I am about halfway through building all 10 and can say I'm really impressed with each build. While the cars are mostly the same, the instructions are different for each one. For those commenting previously about the repetitive build, I haven't found that to be an issue. All the stickers, however, that's a different story!
My main annoyance is that for the second year in a row, LEGO have failed to give us an accurately coloured Aston Martin. The real car is more of a teal colour. As the Mercedes proves, they do parts in a colour that closely match the real Aston Martin car, so why did they not make the car teal!? Baffling. It looks so wrong in this green colour, and nothing like the real life car. I'm surprised that Aston Martin even signed off on this. I would love to hear an explanation from LEGO as to why they couldn't / wouldn't produce the few extra parts required in the teal colour, especially when they did it for the Mercedes.
I've just been watching the Australian Grand Prix. And funnily enough, the Aston Martin (77245) crashed!
Okay, gotta say these are some quite impressing builds. Minus the stickers, of course.
@Gemini_Phoenix said:
"My main annoyance is that for the second year in a row, LEGO have failed to give us an accurately coloured Aston Martin. The real car is more of a teal colour. As the Mercedes proves, they do parts in a colour that closely match the real Aston Martin car, so why did they not make the car teal!?"
The Aston Martin color isn't the same as the Mercedes works team color. Aston Martin's current version of British Racing Green is between Lego Sand Green and Lego Bright Bluish Green (the color used on the Mercedes works set), with I think it being slightly closer to Sand Green. Either color is closer to the real color than the one Lego used, Lego Green, though.
That said, you're right, why did Lego use Green instead of Sand Green for the Aston Martin? The only reason that passes even a perfunctory smell test is some of the green parts weren't available in Sand Green, but that means Lego is just being cheap instead of spending the money on the required recolors.
As far as sign-offs, I imagine they only needed the sign-off from Formula One Group, and not the individual teams.
As a lifelong Formula1 fan ... F1 hasn't been fun and/or cool since Liberty Media and the Drive to Survive fanbase took over. And this product onslaught is more proof of the same.....
Cars are boringly samey at the best of times, but this year for LEGO feels like Groundhog Day.
@xurotaryrocket said:
"As a lifelong Formula1 fan ... F1 hasn't been fun and/or cool since Liberty Media and the Drive to Survive fanbase took over. And this product onslaught is more proof of the same....."
Thanks for the info. I noticed here in Canada starting about 4 years ago we now get coverage of all Races, Sprints, Qualifying and even some Practices. In the past years I don't even think we'd get coverage of every race in a season. A quick check sees Liberty Media acquired F1 in 2017 and its an American company so that probably explains the heavy push of F1 here in North America.
I've not been following these releases that closely - my F1 interest waned in the mid-90s - but aren't the minifigures supposed to represent the primary driver in each team?
Every time I look at pictures of Aston's F1 stuff the color there aggressively looks like Lego's current bright bluish green. That is a teal color through and through and it bewilders me that Aston's seemingly decided that because it's not quite exactly the right color (nothing is of course), that something utterly different and not as appealing has to be used.
Am I the only one who saw the helmet on 77248's driver and immediately thought of the Fantastic Four?
@Gemini_Phoenix said:
"My main annoyance is that for the second year in a row, LEGO have failed to give us an accurately coloured Aston Martin. The real car is more of a teal colour. As the Mercedes proves, they do parts in a colour that closely match the real Aston Martin car, so why did they not make the car teal!? Baffling. It looks so wrong in this green colour, and nothing like the real life car. I'm surprised that Aston Martin even signed off on this. I would love to hear an explanation from LEGO as to why they couldn't / wouldn't produce the few extra parts required in the teal colour, especially when they did it for the Mercedes."
The colour chosen is probably a result of hundreds of discussions and emails and phone calls back-and-forth between Formula One, LEGO, Aston Martin, Aston Martin's sponsors, their various marketing departments and legal teams, driver managers, and so-on, as well as contracts written and revised and written again so that each detail is to the satisfaction of everyone involved.
If you want more details, speak to a lawyer and an economist and the guy who makes sure certain parts aren't too brittle if they are moulded in the wrong colour.
/sigh
Oh look. Some more F1 cars!
Seriously?
The thing like(d) about Speed Champions was its variety. Supercars, classic cars, cars from films... this is just ten variations on a theme.
Roll on the next wave.
77248 is my favorite, as those are my kind of colors, it's on my list. Might get the Red Bull one as well, due to the Red Bull graphics. I'm also looking forward to the new SC F&F to be released.
I haven't followed F1 at all since the '90s, so I really wasn't expected to be very interested in any of these models. To my surprise, even though the minifigures are disappointingly ordinary compared to some of the drivers we've seen in past Speed Champions sets, the variety and detail of the builds have really impressed me. (Those helmets are pretty cute, too!) I may actually lash out and get the full set in tribute to how well these models came out.
@xurotaryrocket said:
"As a lifelong Formula1 fan ... F1 hasn't been fun and/or cool since Liberty Media and the Drive to Survive fanbase took over. And this product onslaught is more proof of the same....."
My love of F1 started when I got back into racing back in 2007 and ended promptly when Lewis Hamilton got screwed out of his 8th driver championship in 2021.
I've built a few of these now and found the sidepod floor construction of the Mercedes rather flaky, compared to others like the Alpine, Ferrari and Red Bull