Review: LEGO Technic 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance

December 17, 2024 | 3

LEGO Star Wars & Automotive Correspondent

VaderFan2187

The Mercedes-AMG Formula One team is one of the most successful teams in recent years, winning 7 driver’s championships and 8 constructors’ championships since their return to the sport in 2010, and therefore it is no surprise that LEGO has released a number of sets featuring the team’s F1 cars.

This year featured Mercedes’ 2023 challenger, 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance, perhaps a slightly unfortunate choice as the car was Mercedes’ first winless car since 2011. Nevertheless, the sleek all-black livery makes a visually exciting choice for translating into LEGO form, but is it worth the hefty price tag of US$219.99? Let’s find out!

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for sending this set over for review.

Unboxing

The box has the all-black 18+ design, with a teal bottom border matching the Petronas green. Despite the black livery, the model stands out well against the box art.

The back of the box shows off some alternate shots, details, and comparison images of the model.

Inside the box are 12 numbered bags, 2 unnumbered bags, one instruction manual cardboard folder, and four loose tyres.

The manual and sticker sheet come in this protective cardboard folder – as is standard for most large sets nowadays – which is great.

The manual itself is fairly thick, with a front view of the W14 as the cover.

As is common for 18+ sets, the manual has some additional graphics and information about both the real car and the design process.

There are two absolutely massive sticker sheets included – race cars normally have a lot of stickers but these are huge! Most were easy enough to apply, it’s just the sheer quantity will likely turn away sticker haters.

Build Process

Bags 1 and 2 build the front of the chassis, including the suspension and steering for the front wheels.

Bags 3 and 4 build the rear half of the chassis, including the rear wing…

…which are then combined with the earlier sub-assembly to complete the base of the model.

Bag 5 adds the engine, while bag 6 adds the car’s underfloor.

Bags 7 and 8 then add the sidepods and additional bodywork.

Bag 9 adds the front wing, while bag 10 adds the air intake behind the cockpit.

Bag 11 adds the halo and some more bodywork, while bag 12 completes the car. All in all, a fun building experience with some interesting techniques, and it’s great to see how Technic panels can be used to replicate iconic details of the real car.

Reference Image

Completed Model

As this is a Technic set, no figures are included, so let’s dive straight into the model. It measures around 63cm (25″) long and 26cm (10″) wide, and has a fair bit of weight, which makes it feel suitably substantial.

The all-black livery looks fantastic especially on sections that use glossy LEGO elements, and the Petronas green highlights add some colour (even if most are from stickers). Speaking of stickers, there are many but they are used to good effect, and the model wouldn’t really look good if they are not applied. The model is slightly less colourful than the real thing because the driver numbers are omitted, which means this car can be assigned to either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell.

The side view is one of my favourite angles of the model – in fact, I think some of the official pictures don’t do it justice. The build does a great job replicating the shape of the W14, but especially so from this side angle, which highlights the Petronas green striping carried across multiple stickers, and the impressively accurate proportions.

The model looks good from a higher vantage point as well, replicating the shaping of a Formula One car well, making this set an ideal one to mount on a wall to admire from this angle.

This set is based on the W14’s earlier zero-sidepod concept, which did not work well for the car but is arguably more aesthetically pleasing, with narrower and sleeker central bodywork.

A view from the underside shows some of the mechanical detail, including the V6 engine, the steering mechanism, and the rear suspension.

The front wing is one of my favorite parts of the set, with several different angled panels used to replicate the complex front wing of the real car. Numerous stickers are applied, but they add important details.

The suspension linkages for the front wheels are just behind the wing, and these look excellent, even incorporating the steering function. These will be replaced with specialised parts on next year’s Technic F1 cars, but I do enjoy the brick-built version here which showcases the designers’ ingenuity.

The shaping around this front section is done well. Angled panels are used for the top to replicate the curvature of the W14’s nose, which looked a little bit exaggerated in official images but actually works well in person. While some of the internal colours can be seen, I like how the panels line up relatively well to continue the Petronas green striping throughout the model.

The rear of the model looks good too, with a brick-built rear light, an exhaust pipe, and some additional colour on the back of the rear wing. The large INEOS sponsor on the real car has been replaced with two smaller stickers, but still looks good.

The rear wing looks suitably futuristic, with large Petronas wording across two stickers.

You can hinge open the rear panels easily to open the car’s DRS flap, and there is a brick-built macaroni tube in front that replicates the DRS activator.

This is a great simple feature, although with the size and scale of the model I wonder if it would be possible to have it remotely activated.

In terms of functions, the car does have working suspension on all four wheels, and the suspension arms are mounted horizontally which made for an interesting build.

The rear suspension is slightly more visible from the underside, which also features horizontally mounted suspension linkages. The suspension feels relatively firm so I doubt it will sag over time, and it holds the model up nicely just slightly above a level surface.

The model also features hand-of-god steering, controlled via a gear on the top of the air intake. Turning this will rotate the front wheels as well as the driver’s steering wheel in synchrony, which is a nice feature, although the large size of the front tyres means there is a fair bit of friction involved!

The cockpit itself is done nicely, with a driver’s seat built from Technic panels and a rubbery hose element used for the halo. I like the use of the red macaroni pieces for the INEOS red air intake.

The sidepods of the car are also done nicely, using stickered Technic panels to create the complex shaping of the bodywork. Some gaps are present, but that is to be expected given the limitations of the Technic medium.

Further down, smaller angled Technic panels are used to replicate the jagged openings of the venturi tunnels, a defining feature of this generation’s ground-effect F1 cars.

The rear bodywork is nicely done too, with more stickered angled panels and a couple new panels introduced for the Petronas-labeled bodywork. There are a bit more gaps around this section though, particularly around the rear sloping section.

This sub-assembly is connected loosely, so can be detached to reveal the engine inside.

The V6 engine has six pistons that move along as the car is rolled, thanks to a differential located at the rear. This is a fun feature and the ability to see the engine even after construction is completed is welcome.

Finally, we come to the wheels themselves. New pieces are introduced for the hubcaps which look good, and the new slick tyres are excellent too. Unfortunately, these tyres are not printed, which feels like a major misstep given how prominent the Pirelli tyre designs are on the real car. Next year’s Technic cars will feature printed tyres, so it is a shame this set did not get that upgrade.

Real F1 cars also have larger rear tyres than front tyres, so that is another slight disappointment as this set uses the same wheel pieces for all four wheels. Given the high level of detail and accuracy throughout the rest of the model, the compromises made on the wheels stick out like a sore thumb.

The display presence of the model is also noteworthy – it is actually a pretty hefty model so holds its own on display against much more expensive sets including the recent UCS Jabba’s Sail Barge (which costs more than twice the price). However, this could be a slight downside if you have limited space to display your sets, so just bear that in mind if you are planning on getting this set.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I am a big fan of 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance, and I think F1 fans will generally be equally impressed. The model does a great job capturing the key details and proportions of the W14 (with the exception of the wheels), and includes the key necessary functions like steering and the working engine to justify the Technic design. Veteran Technic fans might wish for a bit more functionality and I would generally agree (remotely activated DRS please?) but I think the balance between functions and aesthetics has been done well here.

US$219.99 is an expensive price especially considering the piece count of 1,632, but many of the pieces are large and I think the size and bulk of the final model actually justifies the price quite well. It’s certainly worth the $20 more than the disappointing 42141 McLaren Formula One Race Car from a couple years ago, with far better aesthetics, accuracy, and shaping.

This set probably won’t interest everybody, but fans of F1 or LEGO will find an enjoyable build with a stunning final model that looks excellent on display. I just wish they printed the tyres…

Final Score

5

Build

The model is absolutely gorgeous, doing a fantastic job replicating the challenging curves of the Mercedes W14. Biggest disappointment would be the wheels, though.

3

Playability

Functionality is admittedly low for a Technic set. Although the core features like steering and suspension are included, a set of this size could probably fit a couple more supplementary features.

4

Real Value

I think the price is justified, especially comparing the display value here against other similarly priced sets on the market.

4

Innovation

Lots of great details and techniques are used throughout the model to capture the tricky details of the real car.

5

Keepability

With LEGO’s increasing partnership with Formula One–and two more similarly scaled models being released next year–this set will likely be pretty iconic.

Audience rating

How would you rate this set?

1 2 3 4 5

Thanks for reading! 42171 Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance is available from LEGO.com. The set can often be found on sale on Amazon Australia or on Amazon.com.

If you’re excited about more LEGO Formula 1, check out all the newly announced F1 2025 sets coming in the new year!

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