Review: Haas VF-24, VCARB 01, Williams FW46 and Sauber C44
Posted by CapnRex101,
Whereas the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull commonly win races and enjoy a degree of fan loyalty, teams further down the grid are less popular on the whole. The same will seemingly apply to their Speed Champions cars, although these look as impressive as any others.
All four of 77246 Visa Cash App VCARB 01, 77247 KICK Sauber F1 Team C44, 77249 Williams Racing FW46 and 77250 MoneyGram Haas F1 Team VF-24 have unique qualities, including a couple of highly distinctive liveries, but some have definite weaknesses too.
These sets were provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
I have been a bit disappointed with the minifigures in these Speed Champions F1 sets, which are less realistic than other examples from the range. While their consistency is welcome, the drivers' uniforms are simplified to the point that some are nearly identical and that is especially true for the Haas, VCARB and Williams minifigures.
On the other hand, I like the new dual-moulded helmets, each decorated with the symbols for their respective teams and including colourful visors. The combination of blue and trans-red is probably my favourite of all ten in this wave, worn by the VCARB driver.
The drivers are not based on specific individuals, but all include unique heads and hair pieces, which can be swapped around if you wish. In addition, the figures are equipped with wrenches for removing the wheel inserts on their cars, as seen in plenty of Speed Champions sets.
Reference
Source - wikipedia.de
Source - autosport.com
Source - wikipedia.com
Source - F1-fansite.com
The Completed Model
Haas has participated in Formula 1 for nearly a decade, usually finishing towards the back of each race, but gathering some good results. The team's distinctive black, white and red livery has remained fairly consistent since the 2022 season and looks good in LEGO form, thanks in particular to the bold red highlights on the front and rear wings.
The front wing is identically constructed across nine of these cars, with the Mercedes the only exception. However, I have no complaints about its colours or shape and fantastic attention to detail is clear on the end plates, although applying stickers to 1x1 tiles is never ideal. A total of 31 stickers are included, which is fewer than most F1 Speed Champions sets.
Additionally, there are quite a few printed parts, such as the 1x1 half round tile and 1x6 curved slope on the nose, plus the wheel inserts and 1x1 quarter circle tiles beside the cockpit. Those curved tiles are clever, as their top surfaces are printed to blend with the black bodywork, while the sides form part of stripes adorning the car.
As normal, the driver fits snugly inside the cockpit, with a camera mount and the airbox behind them. The airbox on the Haas tapers significantly towards the back and looks awkward directly from the side, but its overall shape is quite accurate. The stickered details are attractive as well, although the unavoidable gaps between the Haas-branded stickers are unfortunate.
The rear wing incorporates another piece created specifically for these Formula 1 cars: a 2x6 concave slope. The wing's smooth shape therefore looks good and I like the DRS actuator as well, represented by a finger element most commonly used for mechs.
I think the Visa Cash App Red Bull, or VCARB, car stands out within the range. Other than its 18+ branding, shared with 77243 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 because of their energy drink association, the side pods on this car are totally unique, which changes the appearance of the model as a whole.
LEGO's standard shade of blue is a little too bright to match the actual VCARB cars, but was a good choice among the options available. The red and white details look superb, especially the diagonal stripe behind the front wheels, which is an important feature of the real car. The curved slopes comprising the sides of this stripe are actually printed, which was a pleasant surprise.
Like the aforementioned Red Bull, the structure in front of the halo is unusual, but looks good nonetheless. The side pods are impressive too. The striped sections closer to the cockpit are simply constructed with slopes and these line up beautifully with the angled outermost pieces, featuring the all-important Visa branding.
The resulting grooves beneath the blue parts of each side pod are flawless, although the Visa branding should be larger. Sadly, the stickers cannot really wrap around the curved slopes, so there was little alternative. The red and white stripes, by contrast, look marvellous. Again, gaps between stickers are irritating, but the transition from the side pods to the bodywork is lovely.
Moreover, I like the silver Red Bull logo printed on the airbox. The shaping immediately behind the driver is untidy though, repeatedly switching between angular and more rounded elements. There are no such problems further back, where the rear wing once again looks very accurate, complete with the proper sponsors.
Williams is by far the oldest and most historically successful of these four teams, but declined during the 2010s. However, I am pleased to see LEGO revisit this team, after a couple of sets inspired by Williams' memorable blue and white era in the early 2000s. While the modern blue and black colours are arguably less attractive, they are replicated faithfully.
A new wishbone suspension and deflector piece has been introduced with these F1 cars and looks splendid. The element is very specialised, but I think capturing the deflectors above the wheels was important and there was no clear alternative to a new part. Otherwise, the nose is nicely decorated, even capturing the thin red and white lines on either side.
However, the livery on the side pods leaves something to be desired. I appreciate the effort to recreate the distinct patches of lighter and darker blue, but the overall shape looks a bit untidy, especially around the Komatsu branding. No matter where precisely the stickers are applied on each element, there are always going to be unwanted areas of the lighter blue shade.
By contrast, perhaps my favourite livery feature on any current F1 car is translated brilliantly to LEGO form, that being the Duracell battery on the air intake. Dark orange is a great alternative to bronze on the real Formula 1 car and a couple of stickers complete the design accurately.
This model features 32 stickers, which is about average for the F1 range as a whole. Still, the nature of the Williams livery is such that the set relies heavily on stickers to recreate blocks of colour, which is not necessarily the case for other cars. Of course, all ten use plenty of stickers, but most are only needed for team sponsors.
Sauber scored just four points in the 2024 Constructors' Championship, only finishing in the top ten once across the entire season. Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets, although its bright green and black livery stands out, so perhaps this car will appeal to those without a preference for certain teams.
For instance, I love the stickered stripes on the front wing, though it should be mentioned that only 24 stickers decorate this model, fewer than the other F1 cars. This is another car using a combination of stickers and intricate construction to build stripes on the sides, which I applaud, even if the shaping is slightly awkward in places.
The online casino Stake has been Sauber's main sponsor since 2023, but is obviously not an appropriate brand for a product marketed to children. Kick is therefore used instead and there have been controversies about the streaming platform too. Nonetheless, the branding matches some races in 2024 and I like the relative simplicity of the side pods, which are very smooth.
The ducts around the airbox are equally simple, but much less effective, in my opinion. These areas of the model look incredibly blocky and I have no idea why because 1x4 bows would be ideal to recreate their shape properly, as already seen on the likes of 77242 Ferrari SF-24.
Rather than a conventional single actuator, the Sauber C44 was launched with an unusual twin actuator design, here represented by two horns. The design was actually changed quite quickly and replaced with a single actuator, but the earlier configuration is more interesting, so I am glad the LEGO version includes that feature.
Overall
Despite my appreciation for Formula 1, I was hesitant about the prospect of a full grid of Speed Champions F1 cars. However, the sets produced last year were excellent and the new range is even better. These four are not my personal favourites, although 77246 Visa Cash App VCARB 01 is cleverly designed in particular.
The whole range looks superb together, although each car costs £22.99, $26.99 or €26.99, so collecting them all would evidently be expensive. However, I do think it is worth considering for Formula 1 fans and there will doubtless be substantial discounts before too long. For those only wanting one or two, I think 77242 Ferrari SF-24 and 77243 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 are the highlights.
87 likes
64 comments on this article
That's a lot of free advertising
Great run of reviews for these sets. I'm not much of an F1 fan but I absolutely love this series. I picked up four of them at Costco and plan to get the other six once the prices dip. Some of the build techniques are really ingenuous and I appreciate the effort made to make each model shape unique. I tend to agree about the figures, relatively lackluster and it would have been easy to make them more realistic since they're already printed.
I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?
@JGW3000 said:
"That's a lot of free advertising "
I can't imagine even the most die-hard fan wanting put on all those stickers.
@rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere.
VCARB is actually white coloured Racing Bulls. At least in last races. They completely changed the look of the cars.
@rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
I mean, if they're not based on real life drivers (and understandably so considering how quickly lineups change in any sport, let alone F1) why not take the opportunity to add em in? Doesn't hurt anyone and gives a bit more variety so no complaints here.
@MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
I think this dumb comment says more about you, than the sets.
I have 7 plus the older McLaren & Aston Martin with bricklinked front suspension and wider rear tyres to look closer to the rest.
Only one I haven’t gotten is the Sauber and will probably pass as they were by far the worst team by a significant margin. Not to mention the wheel nut pitstop farce.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @JGW3000 said:
"That's a lot of free advertising "
I can't imagine even the most die-hard fan wanting put on all those stickers."
I imagine even someone with only a passing interest in F1 would want the cars to match the real life versions if they buy them.
The minifigs are disappointing. Using generic minifigs (so not based on real drivers) and even female minifigs is okay, but the suits are too simple. There were so many great driver suits, like in CMF series 3.
@johleth said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
I think this dumb comment says more about you, than the sets."
I watched the F1 race in Bahrain today. It was all men racing. Don't take me for some sexist or misogynist, but I'm telling it like it is. I also think that common sense should be maintained, and no one is stopping girls from playing with racing cars. There are also women's races, but not for both genders at the same time.
@10182 said:
" @johleth said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
I think this dumb comment says more about you, than the sets."
I watched the F1 race in Bahrain today. It was all men racing. Don't take me for some sexist or misogynist, but I'm telling it like it is. I also think that common sense should be maintained, and no one is stopping girls from playing with racing cars. There are also women's races, but not for both genders at the same time."
That's more or less what I meant. I was responding, however, only to rainstorm26's comment, to explain this trend. A similar procedure concerning Stormtroopers is more tangible, but I will not mention it here. It is a small detail without much significance, at least for me. In order not to turn this into a political or ideological discussion, I will now write about the models themselves. I am very happy with these racing cars. So far I have bought a Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, I am sure that I will gladly expand the collection by another 7. At the beginning someone here accused that they are the same cars, only in a different color. In my opinion, however, apart from that there are really many differences, which is surprising on such a scale.
I know some people thought that Lego didn't need to make every car on the grid, but I'm glad they did. They look stunning all together and it allows for more cars to choose from.
I generally like these designs and the small but distinct differences between all of the sets. The generic drivers and lack of numbers are still disappointing. As is the number of stickers, though considering this is Lego we shouldn't expect anything better. Also, wouldn't decorated 1x1 tiles always be prints not that long ago?
Oh, and before someone says the real cars are also full of stickers, even in close-ups those can barely be recognized as such. Those on the models on the other hand.....
And specifically for the Sauber, apart from completionists I wonder who in their right mind would buy this one, as the one from CaDa in almost all regards is far superior. If only they would do the entire grid....
@MusiMus said:
" @10182 said:
" @johleth said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
I think this dumb comment says more about you, than the sets."
I watched the F1 race in Bahrain today. It was all men racing. Don't take me for some sexist or misogynist, but I'm telling it like it is. I also think that common sense should be maintained, and no one is stopping girls from playing with racing cars. There are also women's races, but not for both genders at the same time."
That's more or less what I meant. I was responding, however, only to rainstorm26's comment, to explain this trend. A similar procedure concerning Stormtroopers is more tangible, but I will not mention it here. It is a small detail without much significance, at least for me. In order not to turn this into a political or ideological discussion, I will now write about the models themselves. I am very happy with these racing cars. So far I have bought a Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, I am sure that I will gladly expand the collection by another 7. At the beginning someone here accused that they are the same cars, only in a different color. In my opinion, however, apart from that there are really many differences, which is surprising on such a scale."
Am I the only one who feels Lego should have included the real-life drivers into minifigure form here with the Speed Champions cars? Maybe it wouldn't be necessary for sets in other themes like City, but I think it would have made the cars sell better and make the Minifigures more interesting if they did. But then again, Lego would have to choose between one of the two drivers for each team.
@StyleCounselor said:
"
I can't imagine even the most die-hard fan wanting put on all those stickers."
Completely disagree--I know people complain about stickers in general, but I feel they're absolutely integral to the entire Speed Champions line. Most SC models would look fine without their stickers--until you compare them to what they look like with, and then without looks utterly plain. SC is about details, and you can only get so far with parts. I want to extract as much detail from them as I can, and that means putting on all the stickers.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"But then again, Lego would have to choose between one of the two drivers for each team."
Or in case of five teams, even three drivers ;-)
(though Bearman can be used for two teams)
@MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
My childhood included the era of the first gender-specific minifigure prints with Captain Redbeard and his friends. 6372 was my only Pirates set with a woman, and it had six men. I think my first and maybe only female in all my Castle sets (mostly Royal Knights, Wolfpack, and FprestMEN) wascthe witch in 6037. I had all the Aquazone sets--no females. Spyrius, Space Police II, Ice Planet, Exploriens--all the characters were male (to my knowledge). I had a bunch of Timecruisers--no females. Adventurers had one main female character. Ninjago now has five main male Ninja and one female (Nya), plus other primary male characters (Wu and Garmadon).
I never had any issues seeing myself in the characters, but when my wife started playing with Lego for the first time (in her 30s) she found the options extremely limiting for sigfigs or other characters for her play.
Now that I have a daughter, I'm thrilled that there are more female options across a bunch of themes. We don't care about any particular F1 team. I like orange so I got McLaren. She likes the blue and pink cars. She would also prefer to have a female driver, either to represent her or "mommy" behind the wheel. These don't represent real drivers, so it's not gender politics to have a few female driver options. Stormtroopers, clone troopers, Dreamzzz minions, etc., aren't real so they can absolutely have female Lego heads. There are more women than men in real life. Any of us with a decent Lego collection have plenty of heads we can add to these, but for a kid with just a few, what's the harm of letting them have 40% female heads instead of just 1 or 2 out of 10?
@FuddRuckus said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
My childhood included the era of the first gender-specific minifigure prints with Captain Redbeard and his friends. 6372 was my only Pirates set with a woman, and it had six men. I think my first and maybe only female in all my Castle sets (mostly Royal Knights, Wolfpack, and FprestMEN) wascthe witch in 6037. I had all the Aquazone sets--no females. Spyrius, Space Police II, Ice Planet, Exploriens--all the characters were male (to my knowledge). I had a bunch of Timecruisers--no females. Adventurers had one main female character. Ninjago now has five main male Ninja and one female (Nya), plus other primary male characters (Wu and Garmadon).
I never had any issues seeing myself in the characters, but when my wife started playing with Lego for the first time (in her 30s) she found the options extremely limiting for sigfigs or other characters for her play.
Now that I have a daughter, I'm thrilled that there are more female options across a bunch of themes. We don't care about any particular F1 team. I like orange so I got McLaren. She likes the blue and pink cars. She would also prefer to have a female driver, either to represent her or "mommy" behind the wheel. These don't represent real drivers, so it's not gender politics to have a few female driver options. Stormtroopers, clone troopers, Dreamzzz minions, etc., aren't real so they can absolutely have female Lego heads. There are more women than men in real life. Any of us with a decent Lego collection have plenty of heads we can add to these, but for a kid with just a few, what's the harm of letting them have 40% female heads instead of just 1 or 2 out of 10?"
This is not harm but as other users have written above it would make much more sense if these sets had real drivers. Just look at F1 races, the drivers are homogeneous genders.
@Maxbricks14 said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @10182 said:
" @johleth said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
I think this dumb comment says more about you, than the sets."
I watched the F1 race in Bahrain today. It was all men racing. Don't take me for some sexist or misogynist, but I'm telling it like it is. I also think that common sense should be maintained, and no one is stopping girls from playing with racing cars. There are also women's races, but not for both genders at the same time."
That's more or less what I meant. I was responding, however, only to rainstorm26's comment, to explain this trend. A similar procedure concerning Stormtroopers is more tangible, but I will not mention it here. It is a small detail without much significance, at least for me. In order not to turn this into a political or ideological discussion, I will now write about the models themselves. I am very happy with these racing cars. So far I have bought a Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, I am sure that I will gladly expand the collection by another 7. At the beginning someone here accused that they are the same cars, only in a different color. In my opinion, however, apart from that there are really many differences, which is surprising on such a scale."
Am I the only one who feels Lego should have included the real-life drivers into minifigure form here with the Speed Champions cars? Maybe it wouldn't be necessary for sets in other themes like City, but I think it would have made the cars sell better and make the Minifigures more interesting if they did. But then again, Lego would have to choose between one of the two drivers for each team."
Great idea. They could give two drivers to each team so we can choose.
It's clear that LEGO doesn't have the rights to drivers' likenesses, merely the teams themselves. And odds are they'd be risking a potential lawsuit if they tried to "cheat" and include a driver that *looked* too much like the IRL without having the rights.
Female minifigs absolutely skirt past these concerns, and as other users have noted improving female inclusion in LEGO has tangible benefits for kids and AFOLs who have daughters.
But hey, women only account for more than 50% of the entire human population. So clearly LEGO is doing the devil's work by presenting a ridiculous scenario in which there is something approaching gender parity in an elite sport. How dare they.
Like, it sucks enough that we live in a world where female athletes are treated as totally secondary to male athletes. Now we're saying even IMAGINING a world where something like parity is achievable is villainous wokeism? Come on.
@CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think.
@10182 said:
"There are also women's races, but not for both genders at the same time."
You do realize there are no rules against women competing in F1, and that women have competed in the past, qualified, and even scored points, right?
Motorsports is one of the dumbest areas in sport to want to segregate, anyway.
I know the drivers aren't supposed to be anyone in particular, but the Williams one *has* to be a nod to Jamie Chadwick who has been affiliated to the team in various capacities since 2019.
She has never driven a contemporary F1 Williams though - only the 1983 FW08C at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
"For those only wanting one or two, I think 77242 Ferrari SF-24 and 77243 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 are the highlights." Yeah, if I get one of these, it'll be 77243. I'm also planning to pick up one or two of 71049-0.
@FuddRuckus said: "
6372 was my only Pirates set with a woman..."
I think you linked to the wrong set there. That set has a woman, but isn't a Pirates set. Also, Ice Planet did have a female minifigure, although she was only in the two most expensive sets: https://brickset.com/minifigs/sp017/ice-planet-female-(doctor-kelvin)
@10182 said:
"I watched the F1 race in Bahrain today. It was all men racing. Don't take me for some sexist or misogynist, but I'm telling it like it is. I also think that common sense should be maintained, and no one is stopping girls from playing with racing cars. There are also women's races, but not for both genders at the same time."
Tell me you know nothing about racing, without telling me you know nothing about racing. And yes, that's exactly what I take you for.
@gearwheel said:
"You do realize there are no rules against women competing in F1, and that women have competed in the past, qualified, and even scored points, right?"
Does half a point count as "scoring points"?
But, man(/woman), what a silly discussion. Maybe if Lego indeed couldn't get the actual drivers, they better had sold these sets without a minifig, just to avoid any controversy?
@gearwheel said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think."
It's also notable that the Kick Sauber car is the only current F1 car of which two officially licensed Speed Champions sized versions exist from two different manufacturers.
Granted, the version from CaDa is leagues ahead of the LEGO version, but it's also just slightly longer, perhaps by two studs or so.
The fact that it has additional printed pieces to make versions for both drivers just makes it even more awesome (plus the fact that it's about 30 percent cheaper than the LEGO one). Why anyone would even consider buying the LEGO version of this particular vehicle is beyond me.
As for female racing drivers, one of my favorite drivers of the DTM German Touring Car Championship of the late 80s and early to mid 90s was Ellen Lohr. Other than F1 she seemed to have experience in almost all major European racing series, from touring cars to rallye, from endurance racing to truck racing, etc.
I'm just glad they are all yellow, discussion avoided :-)
@rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
The most precise answer to your question is that LEGO has interior representation objectives that these sets are obligated to satisfy, being unlicensed minifigures.
The aggrieved never miss a chance to show themselves.
I think I would’ve rather had other new space parts than these helmets. Maybe they’ll grow on me, but I’m not immediately liking them.
@TheOtherMike said:
"I think you linked to the wrong set there. That set has a woman, but isn't a Pirates set. Also, Ice Planet did have a female minifigure, although she was only in the two most expensive sets"
Bah, 6273. And yes, as you helpfully note, women existed but often in sets that were limited both in quantity and price.
I hope it is appropriate to mention this, but I appreciate how open you are on here about your physical limitations -- and only bring it up to transition to sharing that one of my friends has a son who was born without a left hand. His enthusiasm about the introduction of Autumn (the Friends character with the same limb difference) is one of those perfect examples of "pure joy." The character's gender didn't matter. I think anyone who saw his excitement at getting that figure in his hand might shut up anyone who wants to complain about having representation in toys.
@AustinPowers said:
" @gearwheel said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think."
It's also notable that the Kick Sauber car is the only current F1 car of which two officially licensed Speed Champions sized versions exist from two different manufacturers.
Granted, the version from CaDa is leagues ahead of the LEGO version, but it's also just slightly longer, perhaps by two studs or so.
The fact that it has additional printed pieces to make versions for both drivers just makes it even more awesome (plus the fact that it's about 30 percent cheaper than the LEGO one). Why anyone would even consider buying the LEGO version of this particular vehicle is beyond me."
The printed elements of the CaDa model are an advantage, but I think the shaping of the LEGO version is superior. The CaDa model looks dated by comparison.
I'll certainly get them all eventually, but not while there's neither a discount at Amazon nor a nice GWP at Lego.
Was hoping for the Children's Day GWP as Japan has had. Maybe next week as UK Children's Day occurs a couple of weeks after Japan.
I'm not into F1 so probably won't get any of them, but I like that last picture with all of them together.
@FuddRuckus said:
"
My childhood included the era of the first gender-specific minifigure prints with Captain Redbeard and his friends. 6372 was my only Pirates set with a woman, and it had six men. I think my first and maybe only female in all my Castle sets (mostly Royal Knights, Wolfpack, and FprestMEN) wascthe witch in 6037. I had all the Aquazone sets--no females. Spyrius, Space Police II, Ice Planet, Exploriens--all the characters were male (to my knowledge)..."
Space was an interesting case because they all had helmets. So really, any of them could have been women, right up until they started doing male and female-specific face prints for Ice Planet in 1993. I believe the Space Police II faces were probably generic enough (eye brows and comms gear only) to be interpreted as either. But Ice Planet left little doubt.
@CapnRex101 : granted, the shaping might be a little better in some areas than on the CaDa one.
But I must say I prefer the overall look of that version, and the no stickers and general higher quality for less money approach makes it kind of a no brainer imho.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @gearwheel said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think."
It's also notable that the Kick Sauber car is the only current F1 car of which two officially licensed Speed Champions sized versions exist from two different manufacturers.
Granted, the version from CaDa is leagues ahead of the LEGO version, but it's also just slightly longer, perhaps by two studs or so.
The fact that it has additional printed pieces to make versions for both drivers just makes it even more awesome (plus the fact that it's about 30 percent cheaper than the LEGO one). Why anyone would even consider buying the LEGO version of this particular vehicle is beyond me."
The printed elements of the CaDa model are an advantage, but I think the shaping of the LEGO version is superior. The CaDa model looks dated by comparison."
why not a review of the cada one? its called BRICKset, not LEGOset
Great to see a photograph of all the cars together, but not tempted to start collecting all of them as the most popular teams are probably enough and my lack of F1 knowledge means these 4 look fairly generic to me.
Both have their strenghts and weaknesses:
* There's no way around it, the prints of the CaDa set are a HUGE plus. Luckily the color matching between plastic, prints and stickers on the Lego seems pretty decent for once.
* I'd say biggest plus for Lego are the front suspension and deflector pieces. Not the biggest fan of such specialized pieces, but here it's clearly better.
* CaDa strikes back with the halo.
* The Lego version has smoother side pods, though at the cost of them not tapering towards the back. It also shows too much green on the side pods, while CaDa more accurately separates the side pod and floor.
* The nose is a mixed bag on both, though I'd say the step on the Lego on bugs me slightly less.
* Front wing is better on CaDa, particularly the wing end plates.
* Rear wing on both looks way too bulky and would much benefit from a specialized piece, on the one hand I prefer the more rounded shaping of CaDa, on the other the studless look of Lego. Oh, and where's the Singha logo?
* The rear end of the Lego version looks way too bulky and boxy, the CaDa one really benefits from its slightly bigger size here.
* The Lego wheels look too small, and the wheel covers from CaDa look so much better.
* Despite all the stickers, no name or numbers for the drivers in the Lego set.
* The Lego set has a driver, even when it's a pretty poor one.
Overall, I'd say the CaDa version clearly has the edge because of the prints and better wheels, everything else more or less evens out.
I think a lot of people should woke up and be a bit more inclusive. Wondering why there is womanfolk in your male dominated sport is one thing, actively speaking up against it (or at least the portrayal) is another.
Personally I think it is good to include female drivers, 'weird' is only because you're not used to something. When you get used to things that shouldn't be weird, at a certain point they won't be anymore.
As for a simple(r) solution for this particular 'problem': just include two heads and hair pieces for every car and let kids make their own decisions. Less woke afols can hide their 'more realistic' male yellow fish bowl heads in the generic helmets in their blocky depiction of an outdated race car.
Oh, and (a lot) less stickers!
Why not bring back gender neutral heads and everyone will be happy. Lego have almost completely stopped making gender specific torsos (in unlicensed sets), so maybe the heads are next?
@DenDeze said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @gearwheel said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think."
It's also notable that the Kick Sauber car is the only current F1 car of which two officially licensed Speed Champions sized versions exist from two different manufacturers.
Granted, the version from CaDa is leagues ahead of the LEGO version, but it's also just slightly longer, perhaps by two studs or so.
The fact that it has additional printed pieces to make versions for both drivers just makes it even more awesome (plus the fact that it's about 30 percent cheaper than the LEGO one). Why anyone would even consider buying the LEGO version of this particular vehicle is beyond me."
The printed elements of the CaDa model are an advantage, but I think the shaping of the LEGO version is superior. The CaDa model looks dated by comparison."
why not a review of the cada one? its called BRICKset, not LEGOset"
Brickset has only ever reviewed Lego.
@WizardOfOss said:
"Both have their strenghts and weaknesses:
* There's no way around it, the prints of the CaDa set are a HUGE plus. Luckily the color matching between plastic, prints and stickers on the Lego seems pretty decent for once.
* I'd say biggest plus for Lego are the front suspension and deflector pieces. Not the biggest fan of such specialized pieces, but here it's clearly better.
* CaDa strikes back with the halo.
* The Lego version has smoother side pods, though at the cost of them not tapering towards the back. It also shows too much green on the side pods, while CaDa more accurately separates the side pod and floor.
* The nose is a mixed bag on both, though I'd say the step on the Lego on bugs me slightly less.
* Front wing is better on CaDa, particularly the wing end plates.
* Rear wing on both looks way too bulky and would much benefit from a specialized piece, on the one hand I prefer the more rounded shaping of CaDa, on the other the studless look of Lego. Oh, and where's the Singha logo?
* The rear end of the Lego version looks way too bulky and boxy, the CaDa one really benefits from its slightly bigger size here.
* The Lego wheels look too small, and the wheel covers from CaDa look so much better.
* Despite all the stickers, no name or numbers for the drivers in the Lego set.
* The Lego set has a driver, even when it's a pretty poor one.
Overall, I'd say the CaDa version clearly has the edge because of the prints and better wheels, everything else more or less evens out."
I would never buy Lepin considering how it is theft and preying on Lego, but this one time I bought CaDa, encouraged by reviews and realizing that these are licensed bricks. I put together an Alfa Romeo racing car and was pleasantly surprised... except for the stickers. They had no margin on the sides at all and the worst were the tire stickers coming off them. I'm glad it's finally with prints. I could buy this for comparison. Honestly, they have a few sets that I could add to my Lego collection as a very rare variety.
@MusiMus said:
" @DenDeze said:
"why not a review of the cada one? its called BRICKset, not LEGOset"
Brickset has only ever reviewed Lego."
Well, things can change....
Though that might put their good relationship with Lego at risk, worst case resulting in them no longer getting the free review sets. So probably not worth the risk....
@MusiMus said:
"I would never buy Lepin considering how it is theft and preying on Lego, but this one time I bought CaDa, encouraged by reviews and realizing that these are licensed bricks. I put together an Alfa Romeo racing car and was pleasantly surprised... except for the stickers. They had no margin on the sides at all and the worst were the tire stickers coming off them. I'm glad it's finally with prints. I could buy this for comparison. Honestly, they have a few sets that I could add to my Lego collection as a very rare variety."
Agree, I would always steer away from the copycats, especially when we're talking current sets. I have less issue with older sets Lego is no longer offering (still never bought one), but that's a different discussion.
As for edge-to-edge stickers, not really a fan of those either (I don't like stickers to begin with....), but also very much not a fan of the gaps with Lego stickers when it comes to decoration over multiple parts. Edge-to-edge prints FTW!
@MusiMus said:
" @DenDeze said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @gearwheel said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think."
It's also notable that the Kick Sauber car is the only current F1 car of which two officially licensed Speed Champions sized versions exist from two different manufacturers.
Granted, the version from CaDa is leagues ahead of the LEGO version, but it's also just slightly longer, perhaps by two studs or so.
The fact that it has additional printed pieces to make versions for both drivers just makes it even more awesome (plus the fact that it's about 30 percent cheaper than the LEGO one). Why anyone would even consider buying the LEGO version of this particular vehicle is beyond me."
The printed elements of the CaDa model are an advantage, but I think the shaping of the LEGO version is superior. The CaDa model looks dated by comparison."
why not a review of the cada one? its called BRICKset, not LEGOset"
Brickset has only ever reviewed Lego."
Not quite. They did review a Lepin set once:
https://brickset.com/article/29578
Granted, that was a review to prove a point, and I understand why Huw and his team are reluctant to review other brands.
And to be fair, when Brickset was founded there were no alternatives available that were of the kind of quality we now get from the likes of CaDa, Cobi, Pantasy, etc.
@MusiMus said:
"I would never buy Lepin considering how it is theft and preying on Lego, but this one time I bought CaDa, encouraged by reviews and realizing that these are licensed bricks."
That's an important point.
Many LEGO purists deride any alternative as a "clone brand", giving the impression that these would somehow be illegal or at least dodgy.
But what these people fail to realize (or ignore on purpose) is the fact that there are quite a few alternatives nowadays that are both completely legal as well as on par with LEGO quality-wise, if not even ahead of them in some areas.
Conpanies like Cobi, CaDa, Kiddicraft etc. have their own designers or work with top MOCers, they don't use parts that are under LEGO copyright, and often they even have parts they designed themselves that even LEGO doesn't have. Or that LEGO copied from them, like the Technic beans with holes in both sides of the beam, a type of piece that CaDa had developed years ago.
@MusiMus said:
" @DenDeze said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @gearwheel said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think."
It's also notable that the Kick Sauber car is the only current F1 car of which two officially licensed Speed Champions sized versions exist from two different manufacturers.
Granted, the version from CaDa is leagues ahead of the LEGO version, but it's also just slightly longer, perhaps by two studs or so.
The fact that it has additional printed pieces to make versions for both drivers just makes it even more awesome (plus the fact that it's about 30 percent cheaper than the LEGO one). Why anyone would even consider buying the LEGO version of this particular vehicle is beyond me."
The printed elements of the CaDa model are an advantage, but I think the shaping of the LEGO version is superior. The CaDa model looks dated by comparison."
why not a review of the cada one? its called BRICKset, not LEGOset"
Brickset has only ever reviewed Lego."
Although, in addition to the Lepin review that @AustinPowers mentioned (which I'm not sure I'd seen before, should be an interesting read), there was also the April Fool's Day several years ago when they said that they would be expanding to cover all brick brands.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @DenDeze said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @gearwheel said:
" @CapnRex101 said:
"Based purely on the team, I think Sauber would be the least popular of the ten sets"
I'd guess that Sauber, having the least success, probably has some of the most staunch fans, and there's a decent chance that their ultras will make the Sauber car sell more than their success would make you think."
It's also notable that the Kick Sauber car is the only current F1 car of which two officially licensed Speed Champions sized versions exist from two different manufacturers.
Granted, the version from CaDa is leagues ahead of the LEGO version, but it's also just slightly longer, perhaps by two studs or so.
The fact that it has additional printed pieces to make versions for both drivers just makes it even more awesome (plus the fact that it's about 30 percent cheaper than the LEGO one). Why anyone would even consider buying the LEGO version of this particular vehicle is beyond me."
The printed elements of the CaDa model are an advantage, but I think the shaping of the LEGO version is superior. The CaDa model looks dated by comparison."
why not a review of the cada one? its called BRICKset, not LEGOset"
Brickset has only ever reviewed Lego."
Although, in addition to the Lepin review that @AustinPowers mentioned (which I'm not sure I'd seen before, should be an interesting read), there was also the April Fool's Day several years ago when they said that they would be expanding to cover all brick brands."
Yeah, it was good one.I also remember quarels, somewhat similar to those in these comments, were under April Fool's news about remaking of Cafe Corner and Green Grocer. The POV of collectors was different (I have these sets, so I know what it's about) and those who didn't manage to buy these sets years ago. That was also a good April Fool's. As for the only comparative review of Lepin, I didn't remember it anymore, but it's true that it existed, but there's no hiding the fact that it was something more off topic.
I have the Williams and I really like it, but personally just one of these cars is enough for me (also I am a Williams supporter).
I like how it came with a little me.
@gearwheel said:
" @10182 said:
"There are also women's races, but not for both genders at the same time."
You do realize there are no rules against women competing in F1, and that women have competed in the past, qualified, and even scored points, right?
Motorsports is one of the dumbest areas in sport to want to segregate, anyway."
We'll see women start to come back on the grid sometime in the next 5 years (theoretically).
There's a number of driver development programs underway with a few teams IIRC? I'll need to fact check myself on that.
@darthsutius said:
"We'll see women start to come back on the grid sometime in the next 5 years (theoretically).
There's a number of driver development programs underway with a few teams IIRC? I'll need to fact check myself on that."
Unfortunately doubtful. The biggest talents are now competing in the F1 Academy, which is basically F4 with women only. They used to have the W Series, which used F3 cars, so this is even a step down. Not sure if any promising ladies are currently competing in any regular F3 series anywhere, I do know none is competing in F2 right now. And the only one who ever did is Tatiana Calderón, who has been test driver for the Alfa Romeo (Sauber) F1 team, had a short but unsuccessful stint in Indy, and is now racing in IMSA SportCar GTD. But she's 32 already, so any chance for a F1 carreer is long gone now.
The reality is that it's incredibly difficult to get to that level, regardless of gender. It not only requires incredible talent, but is also physically extremely demanding, and there's also a lot of luck involved to get noticed and get the sponsors to work your way up through the ranks. In the end there's only a place for the 20 best drivers in the world. Or, well, the best 19 and Lance Stroll ;-)
(all jokes aside, he still is an extremely talented driver, money alone won't get you in F1 anymore)
@Klontjes said:
"I think a lot of people should woke up and be a bit more inclusive. Wondering why there is womanfolk in your male dominated sport is one thing, actively speaking up against it (or at least the portrayal) is another.
Personally I think it is good to include female drivers, 'weird' is only because you're not used to something. When you get used to things that shouldn't be weird, at a certain point they won't be anymore.
As for a simple(r) solution for this particular 'problem': just include two heads and hair pieces for every car and let kids make their own decisions. Less woke afols can hide their 'more realistic' male yellow fish bowl heads in the generic helmets in their blocky depiction of an outdated race car.
Oh, and (a lot) less stickers!"
It's interesting that you quoted yourself. No one used the word "weird" on this discussion except you. You also used the word "woke" and if the shoe fits. I was merely pointing out that the number of women in the sets did not represent F1 reality and thus I was confused. I didn't say it was bad. It's funny how people quickly jump to conclusions and immediately want to paint a comment as negative. I realize that Lego is trying to sell sets and thus wants to make them appealing to all. That is fine. It is their decision. Too bad everyone is hypersensitive about this. Maybe I should be cancelled for my first comment.
I think the weakest link in these sets are the drivers. They look so bland. I'm thinking about switching the driver suit from previous Ferrari SC sets, if I can get my hands on a Ferrari F1 set.
@rainstorm26 said:
" @Klontjes said:
"I think a lot of people should woke up and be a bit more inclusive. Wondering why there is womanfolk in your male dominated sport is one thing, actively speaking up against it (or at least the portrayal) is another.
Personally I think it is good to include female drivers, 'weird' is only because you're not used to something. When you get used to things that shouldn't be weird, at a certain point they won't be anymore.
As for a simple(r) solution for this particular 'problem': just include two heads and hair pieces for every car and let kids make their own decisions. Less woke afols can hide their 'more realistic' male yellow fish bowl heads in the generic helmets in their blocky depiction of an outdated race car.
Oh, and (a lot) less stickers!"
It's interesting that you quoted yourself. No one used the word "weird" on this discussion except you. You also used the word "woke" and if the shoe fits. I was merely pointing out that the number of women in the sets did not represent F1 reality and thus I was confused. I didn't say it was bad. It's funny how people quickly jump to conclusions and immediately want to paint a comment as negative. I realize that Lego is trying to sell sets and thus wants to make them appealing to all. That is fine. It is their decision. Too bad everyone is hypersensitive about this. Maybe I should be cancelled for my first comment. "
'weird' wasn't meant to be a quote, otherwise I would have use double quotation marks (like you did). Maybe I should have used "confused".
And yes, I consider myself to be woke, which I think is a good thing. Nothing wrong with trying to care about somebody else's problems in the world. As long as female heads in Lego set confuses people I don't think we're there yet.
No need to do any cancelling from my end, I'm fine with people not agreeing with me when I'm hypersensitive and jumping to conclusions.
@ShinyBidoof said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @JGW3000 said:
"That's a lot of free advertising "
I can't imagine even the most die-hard fan wanting put on all those stickers."
I imagine even someone with only a passing interest in F1 would want the cars to match the real life versions if they buy them.
"
You're probably right. However, I feel differently. As a recovering soccer jersey fanatic, I prefer them to be as clean and devoid of advertising as I can get them (especially if the companies advertised are owned by repressive regimes- Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, etc.).
I wonder if there are any racing fans who feel similarly.
@johleth said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
I think this dumb comment says more about you, than the sets."
66 mujeres dieron like a tu comentario
@Gus_teXeda said:
" @johleth said:
" @MusiMus said:
" @rainstorm26 said:
"I am confused why there are so many female drivers here. I mean, I can see the Williams as they have had two female drivers in the past. But the other two?"
This is an unnecessary attempt to force equality and political correctness everywhere."
I think this dumb comment says more about you, than the sets."
66 mujeres dieron like a tu comentario"
Zou het niet handiger zijn als we allemaal dezelfde taal spreken hier?
@WizardOfOss said:
"Oh, and before someone says the real cars are also full of stickers, even in close-ups those can barely be recognized as such. Those on the models on the other hand....."
I have to correct myself......the reason you can't recognize the sponsor names on actual F1 as being stickers is......because they aren't, as I just learned. Every sponsor logo is sprayed on to the car. Simply because paint is thinner and thus lighter than stickers, and won't disrupt the airflow. And every tiny bit counts....
@WizardOfOss said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"Oh, and before someone says the real cars are also full of stickers, even in close-ups those can barely be recognized as such. Those on the models on the other hand....."
I have to correct myself......the reason you can't recognize the sponsor names on actual F1 as being stickers is......because they aren't, as I just learned. Every sponsor logo is sprayed on to the car. Simply because paint is thinner and thus lighter than stickers, and won't disrupt the airflow. And every tiny bit counts...."
https://www.planetf1.com/features/why-f1-livery-black-carbon-fibre
“ A small evolution over the years in F1 has been the move away from paint to vinyl wrapping which is lighter and therefore faster.
McLaren say that the majority of their car is wrapped with only the headrests and mirror stems still painted and that is a common blueprint followed by the teams.”
Also there was a video recently of the Red Bull in one off Japanese GP livery where they removed the wrap to show the normal livery underneath.
So wrap, not paint or stickers.
So far my 8 year old likes the KICK Sauber best and he's never watched an F1 race before. So maybe the livery appeals to him. As for the McLaren I was disappointed with this one as is my son. It's very fiddly compared to the other three we have (Sauber, Aston-Martin and Williams). So much so that I removed the 4x4 plates underneath and slightly revised the parts to be a bit less fragile.
Overall it seems to be a good line and is selling well.