February 21, 2026
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Perhaps one of the more unexpected announcements last year was that LEGO would be joining the lineup of F1 Academy teams with their LEGO Racing livery.
Alongside that, we are now being treated to our first LEGO F1 Academy car set, 77258 F1 Academy LEGO Race Car in the Speed Champions lineup for March 2026.
This model, based on an F4 car actually has pretty different shaping to the standard F1 Speed Champions cars we’ve been used to.
Let’s jump behind the driver’s seat and see how well LEGO’s very first F1 Academy livery translates to plastic brick form.
Special thanks to the LEGO Group for sending this set over for review.
77258 F1 Academy LEGO Race Car Set Details
77258 F1 Academy LEGO Race Car Set Details
Retail Price
US$27.99 / AU$39.99 / €27.99 / £22.99 / CAD$34.99
Unboxing
The box has the standard Speed Champions and F1 box art, but modified to feature the F1 Academy logo on the top right.
Inside are four numbered paper bags, an instruction manual, a loose chassis piece, and a sticker sheet.
The sticker sheet is pretty moderately sized for a set like this, although a few of the stickers were pretty small which makes it a little more challenging to apply. The triangular stickers (no. 4 and 6) also were a quite largrt – going right up to the edge of the triangular tiles.
Build Process
Bag 1 includes the driver minifigure and starts with building the chassis, including the driver’s seat.
Bag 2 adds the front wing and nose paneling.
Bag 3 adds the rear wing and the airbox cover.
Bag 4 adds the sidepods, halo, and wheels, completing the model. Overall, it was a pretty straightforward build, but still included all the nifty build techniques that you’d expect from a Speed Champions set like this.
Minifigures
Just one minifigure is included, resembling Esmee Kosterman aka LEGO Racing’s 2026 driver for F1 Academy. The minifigure itself looks good, with a new printed helmet sporting a trans-black visor and some colourful printing across the torso and legs. She comes with a long nougat-coloured hairpiece and a spanner as well.
Completed Model
The completed model is incredibly bright and vibrant, with a mix of yellow, blue, magenta, and black. Apart from the fact that these are also the colours of printer ink, it does mean the model stands out a lot when placed alongside other LEGO F1 models.
It’s quite interesting that the real-life livery has so many different colours at sharp angles, which doesn’t quite lend itself naturally to translating to LEGO form. This is a slightly odd choice, since this is presumably the one livery that LEGO would have had input within the design process. Still, there are a host of printed and stickered elements that actually capture the shaping nicely – particularly around the front wing.
The number 32 that’s present across the entire car is a nod to LEGO’s history as 1932 was the date that The LEGO Group was founded in Billund!
The side view reveals how the striking stripes come together well even on this brick-scaled version. You’ll notice that the car is a little blockier and more angular than the smooth curves we’re used to from other LEGO F1 cars, but this is accurate to the simpler aerodynamic packages that F1 Academy cars have. I welcome the variation – it’s nice to get a different design; I almost wish LEGO would go back and make iconic F1 cars of past years in Speed Champions scale!
The underside is fairly simple – it’s built around the chassis piece and has a pretty flat underfloor.
Here’s how the front looks – it is a bit more angular but looks good with the stickered and printed details. The LEGO logo features prominently which isn’t something you actually see often on LEGO sets.
Similar motifs are present on the rear wing, which has a slightly simpler build design but still looks good.
Just like other F1 sets before, the halo is made from a flexible rubber piece and can be lifted up to access the interior, where the printed steering wheel piece is included.
The minifigure can be placed inside and she gets a driver’s seat; unfortunately it’s a bit of a squeeze in there and her hands have to be raised all the way up! That can’t be very comfortable.
Thankfully, it’s not too noticeable from afar and the proportions of the car are still relatively well done overall.
Comparisons
Here’s how the F1 Academy car looks alongside its full-grown F1 counterparts based on the 2026 and 2024 regulations. You’ll notice it is slightly smaller and less curvy, both of which are accurate.
The model has a shorter wheelbase – two studs shorter than the 2025 Speed Champions cars and one stud shorter than the 2026 Audi – which gives it an accurate look as a junior racing series.
Final Thoughts
Overall, 77258 F1 Academy LEGO Race Car is a pretty good entry into the Speed Champions F1 lineup.
It’s not as complex as the usual F1 car designs, but that’s not to say it doesn’t contain some nifty build techniques. The livery may divide opinion, but it’s striking for sure and will stand out on a shelf, plus there’s also the novelty of this being a LEGO-branded F1 academy car.
Ultimately, I think most fans will have already made up their mind based on first impressions – if you’re an F1 fan you’ll likely pick it up as it’s a cool addition and a welcome change from the usual template, but if you’re a Speed Champions road-car fan who has “F1 fatigue” this will be an easy pass. At least the model is reasonably sized for the price, although US$28 for 200-odd pieces is starting to feel pretty steep.
Build
It’s a good representation of the LEGO Racing F1 Academy car, with some very bright colours that give it an extra pop.
Minifigures
It’s cool to get an exclusive minifigure that we probably won’t see again, but just one in a set of this size is just passable.
Real Value
The model is a little small and the piece count is just a little low for $28, but not wholly unreasonable.
Innovation
The build techniques aren’t as unusual as we’ve come to expect from Speed Champions, but it’s still well put-together.
Keepability
Time will tell how successful LEGO Racing will be in F1 Academy, but it’s a cool project nonetheless and this is a memorable way to immortalise it.
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Thanks for reading! 77258 F1 Academy LEGO Race Car will be available from LEGO.com, your local LEGO toy store or Amazon.com starting 1st March, 2026.
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