Speed Champions
F1
10+
McLaren F1 Team MCL38
Release date:
Mar 1, 2025
LEGO Speed Champions 77251 McLaren F1 Team MCL38 lands on 1 March 2025 as part of the all-new Formula 1 wave. The set packs 269 pieces (1 driver minifigure) into an 8-stud-wide model that captures the papaya-and-blue 2024 MCL38 livery for US $26.99 / £22.99 / €26.99 and carries a 10-plus age mark.
269
77251
1
26.99
Minifigure review
The new minifigure (sc131) helmet design is simply amazing! With more intricate details, making it even closer to real Formula 1 helmets, it could have featured graphics more closely resembling the 2024 season drivers. However, that would require LEGO to create two cars for each team, which would be a bit excessive.
About the
set
Across five numbered bags the build flows in under an hour, starting with a sturdy Technic spine that locks in suspension wishbones before layering System bricks for the flared side-pods and narrow nose. Papaya orange tiles and medium-blue slopes nail McLaren’s signature look, while a sticker sheet supplies sponsors from Google to Dell and the new Pirelli-printed slick tyres add authenticity. The halo lifts to seat the minifigure, and a simple pin hinge lets you pop off the nose cone for pit-lane play. Once finished the car measures 19 cm long, looks aggressive from every angle and sits low enough that it still rolls freely despite the real-world ground-effect floor it tries to mimic. It’s a lively desk-display piece that doubles as a swoosh-able toy—though the abundance of tiny sponsor decals may test younger builders’ patience.
Box design
For 2025 the Speed Champions line switches to a bright-white backdrop with a diagonal colour swatch that matches the team livery—in this case papaya orange fading into medium blue. The front shows the MCL38 carving through Eau Rouge, the McLaren and F1 logos share top left, and a silver 1:1 wheel rim graces the side panel for size reference. The rear highlights cockpit details, sponsor stickers and a three-frame montage of the real race car. The slimmer, tab-sealed box fits neatly on a shop peg yet still screams “collect me” beside its nine companion F1 sets.
Instruction manual
The 84-page stapled booklet follows the 2025 Speed Champions house style: white margins, dark-grey build area and clear colour blocking. Inside front matter offers a short blurb on McLaren’s 2024 season plus a driver bio for Lando Norris, while the back promotes the nine other F1 sets. Steps are concise, rarely exceeding three elements per call-out, and every sticker placement is illustrated at 1:1 scale; a QR code links to the LEGO Builder app for 3-D rotation.
So…

If you’re hunting a bite-size Formula 1 display model that still invites hands-on racing, 77251 delivers colour, accuracy and play value at a fair price—as long as you don’t mind laying down a pit-wall of stickers.