Sometimes the best things happen without prior planning. I had no intention of buying a LEGO set soon. Yes, I did mention to my wonderful woman that I would like to assemble an advanced “technic” model. Advanced meaning for adults. I had my eyes on a Formula 1 car, be it Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, or Mercedes. I liked the white Porsche 911, and don’t even get me started on the stunning Bugatti Chiron. I wanted to get my hands on one of those models in the future, but certainly not this year.
Then one day, my stunning woman came home from a trip to the city with a giant, yellow LEGO bag. It contained a LEGO Technic model. On the box, it is written “18+”, reserved primarily for adults. It was the unmistakable scarlet Ferrari, last year’s SF24, driven by Charles LECLERC and Carlos SAINZ. I was speechless.
Those unfamiliar with the sport, that’s a Formula 1 car. Furthermore, it’s a Ferrari from the Scuderia Ferrari team. The most accomplished, loved, and admired team of all of motorsports. This forces one to remember the famous quote by the four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian VETTEL: “Everybody is a Ferrari fan, even if they’re not; they are Ferrari fans. Even if you go to the Mercedes guys and they say, ‘Oh yeah, Mercedes is the greatest brand in the world,’ they are Ferrari fans.” Couldn’t be more true. Sir Lewis HAMILTON is a prime example of that.
I like LEGO. Always have. I grew up assembling and disassembling one LEGO set after another. I not only followed instructions, but I also created my own. Probably you think IKEA furniture doesn’t pose a challenge to me. You’re not wrong. Also, you need to remember my recent endeavour into assembling and disassembling both watches and old electronics. All that started with LEGO. It has been over a decade since I last opened a new LEGO set. Therefore, it may not come as a surprise that I finished this Ferrari SF-24 in under seven hours. It consists of 1361 pieces. My back was stiff at the end, refusing to prolong the assembly process to tomorrow. As I did during my childhood, if the assembly had taken more time, I would have persevered and kept going. Stiffness be damned. Remember that Bugatti Chiron I mentioned at the beginning? It has more than 3000 pieces.
Above, you already saw the beginning and the middle. Initially, I planned to document the assembly more thoroughly, but after the first couple of photos, I realised I wanted to enjoy the process more. As a result, the absolute majority of this gallery consists of pictures of the final assembly. To help you visualize how this may look in real life, the dimensions are as follows: 1:8 ratio; 13.2cm – height; 61cm – length.
For those wondering: the front axis is mobile. You can turn the front wheels with the steering wheel as well as the black gear on top of the air-intake vent. Both front and rear suspensions work. Furthermore, the drivetrain as well as the pistons in the V6 engine also turn. If you push the car and, with the engine cover removed, you can see how everything interacts similarly to a mechanical watch movement. Lastly, you can also modify the position of the rear wing, essentially, enabling DRS. I knew these LEGO Technic sets were incredible, but I honestly wasn’t expecting this level of detail. The only change I would make is to have rear tires wider than the front, as in the real car. Other than that, this is one stunning set.
I grew up watching Michael SCHUMACHER race. Later, I saw Kimi RAIKKONEN win the last Ferrari title in Formula 1. VETTEL failed, ALONSO failed, and now all eyes are on Lewis HAMILTON to bring pride, joy, and championship glory back to the Tifosi. I haven’t seen a Formula 1 race in person, yet. It will happen. And I will watch that race as a Ferrari fan, as one of the tifosi.
Now comes the inevitable question. Will I disassemble the car and try again? My woman certainly wants a reply, as the model currently occupies a place previously reserved for her plants. I want to. The first assembly was easy because everything was split into ten parts by LEGO. You finished the first part, then moved on to the second, and like that until the end. The second assembly would require a lot of patience, as all pieces will be mixed. It will take more than six hours. Probably the real question is when I will get a second LEGO Technic set, and whether I intend to mix both to create something original. I know I am a 33-year-old man, but we all have our passions that some may not understand. I certainly have mine.
Forza Ferrari.
Kindly,
Olaaf
