Classic Lego Build: 6604 Formula 1 Racer

With the shocking news that the world champion quits the sport yesterday, it is only fitting to build a small Formula One car today in the build report.

Set 6604 dates from 1985 and counts less then 30 pieces, but it does carry the number 1 at the front, so in a way it was fitting.

The driver is a simple minifigure sporting the old style helmet without the reinforced chinstrap.

Based on the old "levelled" car base, the steering wheel is added at the front while the black cones will serve as basis for the rear wing.

The printed number 1 slope is added at the front of the car, while slopes are added as sidepods and a wedge piece becomes the backwing.

Engine exhausts are placed under this rear wing, while the wheels go underneath completing the vehicle.

And the full set completed:

While this isn`t something super spectacular, this is a build I played a lot with as a child, as F1 has always been a sport this "tifosi" has been wild about.  And back then, you didn`t have the Ferrari sets yet after all ;-)

Today`s Haul: Transformers Devastation and a lot of toys

Today`s walk along my regular adresses has yielded a good catch once again for not to much money.

The first thing to do was to pick up this PS3 game which I had in pre-order, and for which I had a full customer card at Game Mania giving me 15 euro bonus, so for an additional 15 I now have the most recent Transformers game in my possession.

I then took a trip to the local Kringloop, and had a great catch there.  The first where these two Creator sets, 2.50 each and sealed.

I also picked up this bag of smurfs and the likes, for a measly 50 cents.

Another 1.50 euro later and this bag of Star Wars and Hercules (the disney version) was in my basket as well.

Only to round it all out with a final 2 euro for two Raikonnen formula 1 Ferrari`s and a Ferrari WTC car.

Not a bad catch at all today!

Inspirational Lego 18

Another monday, another round of gorgeous eye candy as I present 10 awesome builds I came along this week as I strolled the internet.

And by god, there are some big things amongst them this time...

We all love Game of Thrones, for it`s War of the Roses feel, it`s harsh world and layer upon layer of intrigues (though I`m not THAT fond actually on how the series is veering away from the books right now).  One of the great constructions in the series is the `Titan of Braavos` who guards the harbour entrance of said city, and now he has appeared in a Lego version as well.

When we link the War of the Roses to Game of Thrones, the classic of books, The Bible, is often linked to the classic of all fantasy works, The Lord of the Rings.  And from that setting comes this great looking Argonath statues.  As you can see by the small minifigure crewed rowboats, this is a big build!

But not everything has to be so humongous, take a look for example at this cute chibi styled (and transformable!) Wing Gundam.

Or going even smaller, how about this micro build landscape?

Talking transformable Lego, there is a whole subtheme out there of builders recreating actual Autobots and Decepticons that can change into their altmode (take the hint, Kre-O!), and the latest of these I came along is Wheelie.  No matter how irritating the character was in the movies, comics and cartoons (okay, so he was consistant), this is a rather nigty design.

Talking nifty desings, on Lego Ideas there is a whole range of Monkey Island builds.  Of course I`m a supporter, I loved the humorous videogames and the builds reflect the style of the series superbly.

Also nifty is this alternate build from the Creator set 4955.  Using only pieces found in that set, the creator has made Fred Flintstone`s car!

More TV classics emerge as we get to look at this nice little Eagle from Space: 1999.  One of the iconic sci-fi ships of the late 70s, this is a true classic reproduced in Lego.

But talking classics, how about this beauty.  From a day F1 drivers where adventurers and heroes instead of helmetted monkey`s driving pre-programmed machines, hails one of the prettiest cars ever, the John Player Special Lotus, this car the one piloted by Emerson Fittipaldi.

Wow, that certainly was a nice load this week, time to sit back, eat some sushi and have a look around for what I will be presenting next week!

Take care and brick on!

Building the History of F1

Okay, normally another build had been scheduled for today, but I am SO happy I got this set two days ago, I just wanted to feature it first.

On BrickLink, you don`t find this set under 30 euro, which is a bit steep for a Barrichello minifig, but in Oost Duinkerke I found it for it`s original retail price of 8 euro...

Set 8389 is from the Racers Ferrari licensed line, and it is most intresting in that it features both Michael Schumacher and his loyal side-kick Rubens Barrichello, the sympathetic brazilian, in their often seen 1 - 2 position during Michael`s dominant years.

The set features a small podium, a large trophy and 2 minifigs, together with a highly detailed sticker sheet.

Rubens and Michael with their excellent printed helmet art.

The podium of course is a rather simple build, starting on a grey baseplate.

White blocks make up the ceremomial steps, adorned with stickers.

Add to that two flags sporting the famous Scuderia logo.

And we get this excellent small podium, which now adorns my desk!

Ow, it even had a single extra piece to boot ;-)

F1 2015 GP of Malaysia

FORZA FERRARI!!!!


And all the rest is, as they say, history.

The squadra is back on the highest placing, so put a german in the car and the results follow.  The Ferrari team did show good pace in the pre-season tests, they where best of the rest in the opener though at more then 30 seconds...

And then Mercedes showed it`s first crack this weekend.  Some attributed it to the rain, but Vettel had qualified in between Hamilton, on pole, and Rosberg on 3rd.  While his team mate Raikonnen was stuck in 11th.

But then it was race day, and Vettel not only managed to keep his second place during the start, he kept the pace of Hamilton.

When Ericsson slid his car off track in round 5, the safety car was deployed and Ferrari opted, on the contrary to Mercedes, not to pit, putting Vettel in the lead.

Something he only lost again after pitting... but then the red car was actually a lot faster then the silver arrows, first overtaking Rosberg and then going by Hamilton again, and he would drive on straight to the lead.

And Raikonnen?  He got a puncture just past the pit entrance in lap 2 so he needed to limp all the way back to the pits, got a fresh tyre set... and steamed on to 4th.  Ferrari really have done their homework it seems, taking the place of Williams from last year as the number one challenger for Mercedes.

Further down, Verstappen finished 7th, and as such became (and due to the new rules, forever will be) the youngest point scorer in Formula 1, coming in in front of his team mate Sainz after a duel of both `sons off` with their mother team... which they beat fair and square.  Points where Lotus by not their doing is falling by so far this season, as Crashdonado had to retire again, and points where McLaren, even with the returned Alonso, can only dream for by far.  Or hope for a good Monaco GP like Marussia last year...

And in the back, on spot 15, the one Manor that got to the grid, steamed in, only 3 laps down for Merhi...

The result:

1. Vettel - Ferrari
2. Hamilton - Mercedes
3. Rosberg - Mercedes

4. Raikonnen - Ferrari
5. Bottas - Williams Mercedes
6. Massa - Williams Mercedes
7. Verstappen - Toro Rosso Renault
8. Sainz - Toro Rosso Renault
9. Kvyat - Red Bull Renault
10. Ricciardo - Red Bull Renault

11. Grosjean - Lotus Mercedes
12. Nasr - Sauber Ferrari
13. Perez - Force India Mercedes
14. Hulkenberg - Force India Mercedes
15. Merhi - Manor Ferrari

Driver of the Race

I`m in a doubt here, because on the one hand there is Vettel bringing victory back to Ferrari, but on the other you have Raikonnen who started 11th, dropped to 18th with the puncture at over half a lap, and returned to come in 4th... so without that, it could even had been a 1-2...

So I`m not making a choice here, and elect them both, as well as thus getting the Team of the Race in one go... with this cool future concept of an F1 car they proposed...

F1 2015 GP of Australia

The lights are green, the pack has been let loose, and the season is underway again!

Now, all expectations ae that Mercedes will be fighting amongst themselves to once again decide who will be the world driver`s champion, but behind that, it is yet to see how the power balance has shifted.

This was a Grand Prix without Fernando Alonso, who was injured during the last testing days and didn`t start this weekend to prevent repeat injury.  He was replaced by the man he replaces this year, Kevin Magnussen.

It was a race without Kevin Magnussen, as the McLaren fell to pieces even before the warm up lap ended.

It was a race without Kvyiat, the new talent at Red Bull, for the exact same reason.

It was a race without Valteri Bottas, who suffered a back injury during qualifyers yesterday, and had to forfeit the race.

It was a race without the last moment ressurected team of Manor Marussia, as they didn`t got the car set up for the weekend, and didn`t leave their pitboxes in the end.

And in a way, it was a race without Lotus.  The car has made great jumps forward from last year, but unfortunatly both where eliminated in the opening car.  Maldonado was pushed into the wall while Grosjean limped to the pits only to be retired.

But what did we get then?  Well, the expected might of Mercedes, who took the front row, started cleanly and steamed off in that position to places one and two, not even pit strategy shaking things up and Hamilton taking the win 2 seconds in front of Rosberg.

But the third spot was for... Vettel in the Ferrari.  The Scuderia had shown good pace in testing, and it is indeed so now that they are on level with Williams, the Ferrari power source having been better evolved then the Renault one it seems.  And Vettel immediatly managing what was near impossible for him and for the team last year, namely to score podiums.  Hopefully, it won`t be a one hit wonder like McLaren at the beginning of the prvious season.

McLaren, who saw Button drive from last place on the grid (Magnussen didn`t `show up`, putting only 15 cars on the starting line) to last in the race as the Honda engine clearly has severe issues still.  But that is the exact reason Jenson has been retained, having tons of experience and finally giving the engine supplier a full race distance of data to analyse now.

The big suprise to some was the guy on place 5, rookie Felipe Nasr in the Sauber.   Last year the team scored no points, until the night of the qualifiers there was the Van Der Garde soap (which, we all know, could expect how it would end), and both cars that where already promising in testing ended in the points today.  I play a manager game this season, I have Sauber as my chassis (only one of 100 participants who did this), I think my gamble will be paying off since I have Button and Vettel as my drivers.

Behind them, we get the Renault cars with both Ricciardo and Sainz Jr.  A great result for the spanish rookie, because I got a bit sick and tired of the whole Verstappen hype down here.  He was outqualified and outraced and outscored by someone all the local press labelled as `not talented enough to stand up to the 17th year old`.

The final points where for Force India, due to some smart driving mostly by Hulkenberg yet again, and the game of elimination playing the favor of Perez.  Quite a result actually, seeing the problems they had with the car, including it`s very late moment of being ready.

The Result

1. Hamilton - Mercedes
2. Rosberg - Mercedes
3. Vettel - Ferrari

4. Massa - Williams Mercedes
5. Nasr - Sauber Ferrari
6. Ricciardo - Red Bull Renault
7. Hulkenberg - Force India Mercedes
8. Ericsson - Sauber Ferrari
9. Sainz Jr - Toro Rosso Renault
10. Perez - Force India Mercedes

11. Button - McLaren Mercedes

Driver of the Race

Who would have thought last year the name of Marcus Ericsson would ever appear here?  Yet, he deserves it, because after the ruffled up weekend preparation, not only did he score his first points ever in his career, he was also the driver that had gained the most positions during the race.  maybe he is a good pay driver instead of just a pay driver after all??

Team of the Race

Force India, they had big budgetary problems, issues with the car getting ready and no ambitiobn what so ever for the opening weekend, though a bit of luck left (Perez) and talent right (Hulkenberg), and suddenly they walk away with two cars in the points, the only other teams showing that sort of reliability for the opener being Mercedes and Sauber.

And so the 2015 season has started.  The first race is still a bit to early to get an idea how the power levels are now, but it is clear that Mercedes will be the team to beat again.  They seem to have coupled (and worked towards that) excellent reliability to excellent speed now...

The lights are Green!

Tomorrow it is that time again, as three months of season break seem to have ended already and flown by at a higher pace then your average Caterham

Formula One is go again, kicking off in Melbourne with the Australian season opener.

We had some unexpected last week turns and twists, with Manor Marussia making the grid after all in a phoenix like move, and fielding Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi in the interim 2014 cars.  Expectations are low for the team, but sympathy will be high.

Something which won`t be said about Force India, who tried to block this move to have their price money from Bianchi`s points finish last year redivided, considering they are in rough waters themselves.  They only presented their car at the last free training days, and they might be lucky it is powered by the Mercedes, though in all honesty if did show good reliability.

Another team with problems is Sauber.  So they hire two high sponsored drives, then the court rules Van Der Garde had a valid contract and might force them to put him in the car instead.  A true soap opera in the making, and one that might cost a serious dime!

But how big the gap remains between Mercedes and the rest?  Will Ferrari be a red arrow again?  And is there a midfielder team that will be making the upwards push, or McLaren that can solve the Honda issues they have at the moment?

The answers will begin coming in in less then 24 hours!

The Jerez Report

The first tests of the Formula One season 2015 has passed, on the spanish circuit of Jerez de la Frontera.

Now, these tests do give some indication of how far the development is standing, though no serious conclusions can definitly be pulled from them.

For example, last year Caterham proved to be the best of the Renault teams in reliability, with the Red Bull not managing more then a dozen laps, and we all know how the season went.

This year, it seems, going by the tests, that the Ferrari engine is the way to go, with Ferrari topping three out of four test days on the timesheets, and Sauber taking the remaining one, but let`s just take it the Mercedes teams have been withhelding pace a little...

The big abscentee; Force India.  Apparanlty, even their Melbourne race is currently in peril, and as far as car presentation goes, they only revealed the new nose and livery so far, no actual machine.

In a more hopefull news that came out yesterday, manor (aka, Marussia) seems to be on the road for Melbourne after all, having managed to liquidate a lot of their debts.  Rumours at the moment have it they would be in talks to become a McLaren B-team (bit like Toro Rosso / Red Bull dynamic) and would then be putting Magnussen and Van Dooren in the cars.  Which for 2015 would still be the 2014 machine with Ferrari engine, so it would really be a mileage season for both youngsters.

Caterham on the other hand, whom looked most promising to save itself, apparently sees the curtain fall now for sure...

But one thing the tests DO reveal, is a lot of new car designs.  And they all seem to have taken a nosey road from Ferrari`s design last year.  There are two very different nose point designs going on this year, some team (Williams, Lotus,...) have the nose end on the front wing, while others (like McLaren) go for a longer one that ends well past the wing.  That will mean, considering the importance of the noses in the aeropackage, half the field is going to have it botched up in the coming season...



Sure, the Red Bull comes with a special camo effect for now before their race livery is revealed, in order to mislead eyesight on any technical newbies Team Newey has come up with.

For me the most gorgeous one so far is... the Toro Rosso.  There is something about it`s lines and it`s colours that just `do it` for me this season.

Sauber comes out with a total new livery, `inspired` by their main sponsor Banco do Brasil.

The Mercedes, Williams and Ferrari cars are evolutions of last year, not much difference in them compared to last year,bar the necessary nose modifications.

McLaren apparently will be changing livery over the coming weeks, Honda not to fond on their Mercedes look, but for now with the engine still not doing that well, they have other things to be busy with then a lick of paint and a lack of sponsors.

Lotus has taken away from the odd and failed split nose of last year, and went for the more traditional design.  She is a gorgeous machine on top of it, the golden black colourscheme having always been one of the most fantastic (and iconic) in F1

But THE absolute winner for me personally, IF it stays that way... is Vettel`s new helmet design!  It`s gorgeous in it`s simplistic elegance if you ask me.

To close off, here are `the numbers` of the first 4 days of testing.  The weekend of the 19th it will resume, and then we are getting close to the start of the brand new season!

This week’s unofficial aggregate test times from Jerez:
1. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 20.841s, 200 laps
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1m 20.984s, 149 laps
3. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, 1m 21.545s, 197 laps
4. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 21.982s, 308 laps
5. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 22.019s, 185 laps
6. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 22.172s, 208 laps
7. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 22.276s, 144 laps
8. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1m 22.319s, 134 laps
9. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, 1m 22.553s, 170 laps
10. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 22.713s, 137 laps
11. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso, 1m 23.187s, 183 laps
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 23.338s, 84 laps
13. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1m 23.802s, 53 laps
14. Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull, 1m 23.975s, 82 laps
15. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1m 27.660s, 41 laps
16. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1m 35.553s, 38 laps

Total distance run - by team (power unit, where different):
1. Mercedes, 516 laps - 2,284km
2. Sauber (Ferrari), 382 laps - 1,691km
3. Toro Rosso (Renault), 353 laps - 1,563km
4. Ferrari, 349 laps - 1,545km
5. Williams (Mercedes), 278 laps - 1,230km
6. Lotus (Mercedes), 190 laps - 841km
7. Red Bull (Renault), 166 laps - 735km
8. McLaren (Honda), 79 laps - 349km

Total distance run - by power unit:
1. Mercedes, 984 laps - 4,357km (3 teams)
2. Ferrari, 731 laps - 3,236km (2 teams)
3. Renault, 519 laps - 2,298km (2 teams)
4. Honda, 79 laps - 349km (1 team)

Longest stints - by tyre compound:
Soft compound - 19 laps (Pastor Maldonado, Day 3)
Medium compound - 29 laps (Nico Rosberg, Day 1)
Winter Hard compound - 34 laps (Nico Rosberg, Day 1)
Hard compound - 42 laps (Nico Rosberg, Day 1)
Intermediate compound - 25 laps (Nico Rosberg, Day 3)
Wet compound - 4 laps (Felipe Nasr, Day 2)