LEGO's F1 helmets set a new standard in this more niche product range, but it comes at the expense of build experience.
LEGO
Credit where it’s due: of all its recent corporate partnerships, the LEGO and Formula 1 collaborations are probably the most consistent, and its debuting helmets for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are no exception. At least, the finished product looks great; the build experience isn’t so fun.
The clue’s in the number of pieces. The Leclerc helmet (43014) I checked out comes in at 886 elements but is a similar size to, say, the LEGO Boba Fett helmet, which is only 625. That’s because instead of the usual approach by LEGO — build the stand and core, then slap the faces on — this goes in sections from the centre, like a jigsaw puzzle. As a result, it requires loads of tiny clips and studs, along with meticulous Technic-level creations, to function.
When you see the finished product, you understand why LEGO did what it did, especially as it had a licensed partner to impress: save for a handful of studs, the helmet doesn’t immediately look like LEGO. But this is still at the expense of a long and sometimes arduous process; these LEGO F1 helmets are probably more over-engineered than their real-life counterparts.
Pieces: 886
Price: $89.99 (€89.99, £79.99)
Dimensions: 7in (18cm) tall, 5in (13cm) deep, 4.5in (11 cm) wide
LEGO Editions Scuderia Ferrari HP Charles Leclerc Helmet (43014)
LEGO
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Leclerc’s LEGO helmet is two bricks bigger than Hamilton’s, and is finished with a signature plaque and a LEGO minifigure with his trademark massive hair. It also looks more like a Ferrari driver’s helmet, sporting a classy red-and-white finish and details including the prancing horse, tributes to his father and Jules Bianchi, and as many sponsors as you’d care to fit.
It’s a seven-bag affair, not including the extra sachet for the visor. Opening each bag is a bit of an ordeal: beyond the black elements for the helmet stand, you get a mass of small, colorful pieces and effectively sculpt outwards. Little do you know that you’re constantly setting up a clip here or a connecting section there. By the end of bag two, you look like you have a prototype of Bane’s mask from The Dark Knight Rises.
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The process repeats itself: build internal gubbins, create a gap, then top it off with one of the rarer, recognizable, printed pieces: first the bottom jaw, then the middle, then crowning it off at the end. Still, you have to hand it to LEGO: the clear focus was on getting the perfect shape, and they’ve nailed it.
There are two sticker sheets for the visor, undoubtedly due to the limits of printing on the less stable plastic. Sadly, these prove to be the trickiest part of the build, especially the long Richard Mille sponsorship bar, which is an absolute nightmare to place. The clear plastic hinge stickers also show fingerprints very easily, but at least you get spare and alternate stickers should you mess up any of these (especially since the instructions mischaracterize the visor shape).
The final stages prove to be the most rewarding, if only to see that finish.
LEGO
Ultimately, the build certainly looks the part and delivers a few moments of satisfaction as you regularly fit smaller jigsaw pieces that connect to the main body against all odds. This comes at the expense of its rigidity — you don’t want to pick it up quickly, because it might result in a small explosion.
The LEGO F1 helmet concept works in principle, even if it’s through two drivers who don’t quite give these sets shelf longevity beyond die-hard fans. However, as a blueprint for future sets, LEGO could be onto something: a challenging future range of builds for older F1 fans who could have helmets of Senna, Schumacher, Mansell, or Prost.
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