As a globally renowned energy drink brand, Red Bull epitomizes boundless vitality in the realm of sports. It's not hard to imagine the level of excellence that Red Bull's F1 team embodies.
Established in 2004, the Red Bull Racing team has clinched six Constructors' Championships to date, with legendary drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen having graced its roster. Even in the recently concluded 2024 season, Oracle Red Bull Racing finished third in the standings but still topped the Constructors' Championship with 446 points.
LEGO Group, having forged a comprehensive partnership with F1, naturally couldn't miss out on this season's third-place contender. On March 1st, LEGO will launch the Oracle Red Bull RB20 racing car set in two product lines simultaneously - the Mechanics series 42206 and the Super Speeds series 77243. Racing enthusiasts, especially fans of the Red Bull team, are in for a treat!
Here, I can't help but brag a bit: I've already got my hands on the new Mechanics series product - the 42206 Oracle Red Bull RB20 F1 racing car! As the first "test driver" of the editorial department, I can honestly say that the brutal aesthetics of this LEGO set are enough to make the dusty road bikes in my garage feel ashamed of themselves.
Unboxing: A Promising Start to the Build
Let's start with the unboxing to show off! Look at this massive and heavy box and the uniquely LEGO-style part packaging. Isn't it enviable? However, seeing nearly 400 pages of instructions and two large sticker sheets, I, as a beginner in LEGO building, feel a bit intimidated: Can I really do this?
Building Process: A Delightful Journey Full of Surprises
As one of the first racing car sets launched after LEGO's comprehensive cooperation with F1, and being part of the Mechanics series that focuses more on accurate scaling and detail compared to the Super Speeds series, this set truly shines in terms of craftsmanship and faithfulness to the original.
For LEGO Group's "Year of F1" in 2025, the Mechanics series has launched two sets simultaneously - 42206 and 42207 (Ferrari SF-24). This enthusiasm is truly remarkable.
The entire set continues the tradition of the Mechanics series' precision and rigor. Throughout the building process, it often feels like you're not just assembling LEGO bricks but actually constructing a real racing car. It's safe to say that the LEGO design team truly understands the romance of mechanics.
Step 1: Rear Suspension System
Opening the first pack of parts brought a pleasant surprise: three new parts! It seems that the design team has invested significantly in the racing car's suspension system.
Firstly, the fork arm part (6509233/5780) used for wheel support replaces the soft material used in the same part of the 42172 McLaren P1 with hard plastic reinforced with ribs, clearly aiming to enhance suspension strength.
At the support points of the suspension system, a new 2-unit cross beam with ball joints (6506199/5995) has been added, replacing the previous two-part combination and further enhancing the stability of the suspension system.
The brand-new connecting rod part (6506200/5996), with its shuttle-like appearance, not only effectively resists bending but also prevents detachment after being clipped into the ball joints of the previous part, making the suspension system sturdy!
The core of the front and rear suspension - the spring parts - has also been upgraded in strength and color-coded, with black for the front wheels and red for the rear.
Step 2: Powertrain
The second pack of parts is undoubtedly the highlight, as this set features LEGO's first 1:8 scale racing car with a movable gearbox.
Although it only has two forward gears, it sets a precedent for future similar sets, raising our expectations.
In terms of the engine, this set introduces new parts: cylinder components (6508516/6608) and V-shaped fixed brackets (6508522/6614), replacing the previous brick parts and significantly enhancing the mechanical feel of the powertrain.
By adjusting the gearbox paddles, the engine can switch between two gears, 16:16 and 20:12, with smooth operation.
Step 3: Steering System
The third pack of parts mainly constitutes the front-wheel steering system.
The set uses a combination of multiple gears and cross shafts to achieve smooth steering operations, with the wheel connections also using the aforementioned connecting rod parts with ball joints.
Here's another new part - a 2-unit cross beam with ball joint sockets (6506201/5997), which perfectly "collaborates" with the previously mentioned 5995 new part, providing reinforcement for the wheel section while maintaining flexibility.
During the build, I was skeptical about whether the connecting rods would remain movable after being assembled. However, by the time the final product was completed, I was thoroughly convinced of its durability!
This set features a unique avoidance mechanism in the swing part of the suspension system, allowing the front wheels to swing without obstruction, which is a major highlight of the steering system.
Another highlight of the steering system is the "God's Hand" operating design, which allows you to turn the front wheels left and right by rotating a small gear at the top of the air intake above the seat, without having to reach into the cockpit to turn the steering wheel.
Steps 4-5: Cockpit Surroundings
The fourth and fifth packs of parts mainly focus on the cockpit.
Due to the "God's Hand" design, the transmission device is sunken, making the cockpit of this set appear deep. Compared to other mechanically inclined parts, the seat uses very smooth parts, giving a comfortable visual impression.
The pneumatic device above the seat uses yellow parts, which stand out in the entire set. Especially the four comma-shaped parts that make up the air intake are quite memorable.
The side skirts and steps on both sides of the cockpit also welcome new parts - arc panels (6540723/7101), which improve the integrity of the side skirts.
At this stage, the front and rear wheel sections finally come together, revealing the true size of the 1:8 scale model.
It's worth mentioning that starting from the fifth pack of parts, I faced the toughest challenge - stickers. Two large sheets with 51 numbered stickers pose a high-level challenge for those who struggle with stickers.
Steps 6-7: Front and Rear Ends
The front nose section uses arc-shaped parts to showcase a low-drag streamlined design, while the rear extension is straight, with a small nozzle part simulating a wind speed tube. The designer has carefully restored the original car's state here.
The model's front flaps have only three pieces instead of the original four. So how to better restore reality with one piece missing? The answer: when parts are insufficient, use stickers!
The stickers for the front flaps directly print the seams between the flaps, making the model visually appear to have four flaps. LEGO really pushed me to my limits, laughing and sticking stickers, doubling the difficulty!
The rear wing continues to feature a movable design and showcases the original car's single exhaust pipe and reverse trapezoidal layout of tail lights through tubing and red transparent parts.
It's worth noting that the two panel fairings used on the rear wing (6508514/6508517 | 6606/6609) are new parts introduced in the January release of the 42202 Ducati Panigale V4 S motorcycle, now re-colored from red to black and appearing on this RB20 racing car.
Steps 8-10: Exterior & Wheels
The exterior finally gives the model a finished look, but what's with the color scheme? In the original car effect picture released on the Red Bull team's official website, the racing car body uses a very dark, almost black navy blue, while the exterior color of the model is significantly lighter.
All the dark blue parts in this set have been re-colored, but it's unclear why the original car's color scheme wasn't replicated.
Although the color is somewhat strange, this set's exterior shows better closure compared to previous Mechanics series sets, with some parts and stickers filling in potential gaps, resulting in a less fragmented visual experience. Especially the engine cover, which I feel has the best integrity.
The Halo system around the driver's seat uses two bent hoses to form an arc, an upgrade from similar sets, appearing more robust and less flimsy.
The tires feature single-sided red printing, and the front and rear tires are still the same width, a common complaint. It's unclear when LEGO Group will put more effort into tire design.
Finished Product: A Near-Perfect Masterpiece
Completed! After assembling the entire model, there's a feeling that LEGO bricks truly represent the highest quality in terms of design science and part quality.
Especially in the suspension system, it's impeccable. You can press down forcefully, and it not only rebounds quickly but also doesn't result in parts falling off. What's more remarkable is that the model's "pull-push" shock absorption principle fully matches the original car's condition.
Continuing the tradition of previous sets with a quick-release engine cover, this set's newly added gearbox allows you to switch gears to display different engine speeds, adding a playable option.
Aside from the color difference and LEGO's consistent oversight of equal front and rear wheel widths, this set still has some minor flaws:
Firstly, in terms of appearance, although the overall exterior is good, the air intake box section still looks a bit fragmented, and since this is the largest yellow component on the entire car, it's particularly noticeable.
The racing car chassis also looks somewhat messy and doesn't showcase the original car's underbody Venturi tubes. However, as a racing car model, there's no need to specifically display the chassis, so this can be overlooked.
Lastly, LEGO bricks in mechanical series vehicle sets have always had an unresolved issue: the steering wheel and front wheel alignment are not synchronized. This issue can be significant or minor, but it's certainly not friendly to OCD players.
However, this problem can be solved. By observing the tilt ratio of the front wheel after the steering wheel is centered, you can find that by offsetting the black 12-tooth gear by about 30° during assembly, you can keep the steering wheel and front wheel basically synchronized. This is subtly hinted at in the instructions, but not specifically pointed out.
Summary: Is It Worth Buying?
Although the finished product has some minor flaws, the quality of LEGO bricks is evident, and the robust design of the Mechanics series is unquestionable. These flaws can either be resolved on their own or ignored, making this set overall a great value.
Product Information
Series: LEGO Mechanics
Number: 42206
Name: Red Bull Racing Team RB20 F1 Racing Car
Number of Parts: 1,639
Age Range: 18+
Scale: 1:8
Dimensions: 64×24×14 cm
Release Date: March 1, 2025
Price: ¥1,999
At ¥1,999, the price does require consideration. However, as a set with multiple new parts and the first in the Mechanics series to feature a gearbox, even if you just buy it without building, its appreciation potential is significant.
But as a racing fan, especially a fan of the Red Bull team, how can you resist building it? After all, having such a 1:8 scale racing car model at home is really cool! Speaking of which, I have to take out my savings and show off this new car:
This new set officially went on sale this month and is expected to spark another frenzy among racing fans. So, will you buy this Red Bull racing car worth ¥1,999?