This is one of the LEGO® Speed Champions sets which differs from the common version of the real-world car. As you can see from the source image below. The Sauber F1 team goes by two different names, they are commonly known as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber but due to Stake’s links with gambling, the sponsorship branding isn’t allowed in some countries, so they race under the KICK Sauber name. Although two sets in the Speed Champions F1 are 18+, the LEGO Group has chosen to go with the KICK version of the car. The KICK brand has issues as well but it’s the lesser of two evils. Here’s a look at the KICK Sauber F1 Team Car.
Product Details
Set Name: KICK Sauber F1® Team C44 Race Car | Set Number: 77247 | Pieces: 259 | Theme: Speed Champions
Number of Bags: Bags x 6 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: sheet x 1 | Characters: VCARB Driver
RRP: £22.99/$26.99/26.99€/39.99AUD/34.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores & LEGO Online from March 1st
Sauber is one of the new partners being introduced alongside the LEGO F1 Collection. Once this set and the upcoming LEGO City F1 set is released, the team will feature in three sets. For the Speed Champions model, the set is based on the KICK variant of the 2024 car. This switches the Stake sponsoring logos from KICK.
In terms of stickers, this set is one with the fewest to apply. This is partly due to the real livery of the car and because other sponsors such as a beer brand, are not featured on the car. The stickers add a little extra detail beyond just sponsor logos, this is mostly the case on the front of the car, where the stickers form a wavey pattern.
Although the Sauber car shares similar features to its racing rivals, it also includes a few unique elements, which result in a unique LEGO build. The body section of the car is much chunkier than some of its F1 counterparts. The curved wings of the cars contrast against the straight edge body which runs from the driver section to the spoiler.
Each F1 has a distinctive air inlet which sits behind the driver and allows air to flow to the engine. These are a feature which varies across cars, despite offering the same function. Each of the Speed Champions sets also features a uniquely built inlet. For the Sauber car, it’s crafted from a pair of different coloured curve-topped window frames. This is another set which uses a recoloured ‘gold’ bar to top the inlet. Although these match the style of the car, they are tricky to get straight and look odd if even slightly wonky.
This is the third set in a row to feature a female driver, it’s nice to see the sets aren’t restricted by the male-focused line-up of the F1 Championship. Although the cars do a great job of replicating the cars they are based on, the minifigures are a little more generic. The helmet is green and features the Sauber logo, oddly this isn’t found on the car’s livery.
The black and green livery is quite slick but overall it’s one of the least interesting of the 2024 cars. Although sponsorship has been switched and in some cases, left off completely, it’s still a rather plain-looking car. As soon as the set was revealed, a dialogue began in regards to both the lack of the Stake logo and the issues with KICK. The decision to present the car as it is in this set is a good balance. Completely ignoring the team and not including it in the range would also cause an uproar. Delving into the history of various brand partners will bring up various issues. The KICK Sauber F1 Team C44 Race Car set arrives on March 1st
Read other LEGO Speed Champions F1 Reviews: Ferrari SF-24| Oracle Red Bull | Mercedes-AMG | Aston Martin AMR24 | VCARB 01
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The LEGO Group provided this set to BricksFanz.com for review purposes. The thoughts expressed in this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or F1. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion.
