Speed Champions

McLaren F1 Team MCL38 Race Car

The papaya car built for people who watched McLaren finally win again

Brick Rated Score

4.2/5

Set 77251 · 2025

Pieces269

Minifigs1

Year2025

Set number77251

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The verdict

I built this one right after McLaren ended a twenty six year wait for the Constructors title, and that context makes every papaya orange panel land a little harder.

The build itself is genuinely clever, full of sub assemblies and upside down connections that make you stop and admire how the designer solved the shaping, not just a car you snap together on autopilot. It is not cheap for 269 pieces, and a couple of details feel like compromises, but as a display piece for the current F1 grid this is one of the strongest cars Speed Champions has put out. If you followed the 2024 season even a little, this is the one to grab.

Best for: F1 fans who want the current McLaren on a shelf, not just any race car

The full review

What it is

I went into this build already fond of McLaren's papaya livery, and the set does not waste that goodwill. The proportions read as a real F1 car the second the rear wing and sidepods go on, and the six bag build takes you through it in stages that feel considered rather than repetitive. There is a moment partway through where you flip a whole sub assembly upside down to lock in the floor detailing, and it is the kind of small design trick that makes you appreciate what the Speed Champions team does at this scale.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the price. Twenty six ninety nine for 269 pieces is not a bargain by piece count, and the set leans on an extensive sticker sheet rather than prints for a lot of the sponsor branding, which some builders find themselves wishing LEGO had just printed given the sponsor logos are dense and easy to misalign. The Venturi tunnel pieces under the car attach on single studs too, so they wiggle more than you would like on a shelf piece. None of it ruins the build, but none of it is invisible either.

Who it's for

If you followed the 2024 season, or you just love the current shape of F1 cars, this is worth the shelf space, especially with McLaren's title win still fresh. If you are chasing pure piece count value or you want a fully sponsor printed minifig suit, this is not the set that satisfies that, and you might be happier waiting for a reissue or picking a different Speed Champions car instead.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

The build works through six numbered bags in three clear stages, starting with the chassis and floor, moving into the bodywork and sidepods, then finishing with the wings and wheels. It rewards patience more than speed. A few sub assemblies get built face down or inverted before flipping into the final model, which is a satisfying way to hide connection points that would otherwise show.

The standout pieces are new for this set: a 2x6 inverted curved slope that shapes the rear wing properly instead of looking chunky, and a 1x6 printed curved slope that carries the front wing detail without needing a sticker. The rear wheels are thicker than older Speed Champions cars and carry printed Pirelli tire branding, and the rear wing lights are factory printed rather than stickered, a small touch that holds up well under close inspection. The single minifig wears a new dual molded helmet with a printed McLaren logo that looks sharp, even though the race suit itself stays plain.

Fun facts

01The set arrived on shelves in March 2025, just months after McLaren won the 2024 Constructors Championship, its first title in twenty six years
02The model is designed by Marin Stipkovic and measures roughly 20 cm long once built
03It carries printed sponsor nods to Google, Pirelli, and Richard Mille alongside the papaya McLaren livery
04Brickset's community rating sits at 3.9 out of 5 from over a hundred user ratings, reflecting a build fans like more than they love the price