LEGO Technic McLaren F1 car benefitted from a trip to Woking

The designer behind the new LEGO Technic McLaren F1 car has explained why the set benefited greatly from a trip to Woking during development.

LEGO Technic 42228 McLaren MCL39 is coming soon on March 1 for £199.99 / $229.99 / €229.99. It features a few major improvements over the likes of 42206 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 F1 Car and 42207 Ferrari SF-24 F1 Car, but one addition could only be made after a trip to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey.

"For the first time in forever, we can actually align the steering wheel to the wheels because the McLaren has a bit of a special linkage where the linkage is actually in the back, so the steering wheel will finally be straight," said excited designer Andreas Jensen at LEGO Fan Media Days 2025.

Accurately aligned linkage wasn't easy to achieve, and the designer only realised it was possible after speaking to the team behind the real race car. This formed a crucial step in the development cycle of 42228 McLaren MCL39, which saw around 10 iterations before the final design.

"The biggest change was after going to see [the McLaren Technology Centre] and talking to the engineers there, where they told me about the linkage to the steering and when I built it, I realised I could finally align the steering wheel to the steering linkage," the designer continued.

These comments demonstrate why such trips are an important part of developing LEGO models, as without them, the linkage might not have been aligned as properly as it is. You can admire this accuracy for yourself when 42228 McLaren MCL39 is released on March 1 for £199.99 / $229.99 / €229.99.

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