77259 Audi Revolut F1® Team R26 Race Car and 77258 F1 ACADEMY™ LEGO® Race Car from LEGO® Speed Champions

LEGO® Speed Champions returns to the grid this month and next. In this article we'll discuss the new mould included in both sets before taking a closer look at each vehicle, their parts and techniques.

We were given these products early by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

77258 F1 ACADEMY™ LEGO® Race Car

Release date: 1 March 2026
Pieces: 201
Price: US$27.99/ £22.99/ 27.99€/ AU$39.99

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Lego Speed Champions 77258 F1 ACADEMY™ LEGO® Race Car - Reveal

77259 Audi Revolut F1® Team R26 Race Car

Release date: 1 March 2026
Pieces: 216
Price: US$27.99/ £22.99/ 27.99€/ AU$39.99

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Lego Speed Champions 77259 Audi Revolut F1® Team R26 Race Car

New mould

Slope Curved 2 x 2 with 27° Double Wedge (7821)

We first discussed this element when the F1 Academy Car was unveiled, but now that we've got the physical part, we can conduct some first-hand analysis.

It comes in 3 colours, although one is only available printed.

77259 Audi Revolut F1 Team R26:

2x in Black (6605627)
2x in Light Bluish Gray (6573467)

77258 F1 ACADEMY™ LEGO Race Car:

1x in Yellow with "F1 Academy 32" print (6585412)

The underside revealed. From looking at pictures of the F1 Academy car, it was clear the new slope can act as a pseudo-jumper element. It tapers from 2 modules wide at the back and in the middle, to 1 module at the front. The fact it also has an actual anti-stud holder at the front makes it even more useful. But that's not all...

Generously sized stud notches on each side allow it to sit offset on a studded surface (shown above on the green 2 x 3 plate) or sit in-line to straddle two studs (the 2 x 2 yellow plate), despite the central anti-stud.

Just note that the 2-stud option has very little clutch, so the above combo with the orange 1 x 2 plate isn't nearly as practical as the sturdy lime green 1 x 1 plate connection.

Despite its low clutch, the versatility of the narrow end is palpable. Alternating between regular and jumped placements on a 1-module wide plate results in a neat zip-like effect (above right) which could be nice for the jagged edge of a sci-fi door or maybe some medieval stone-work.

The slope's diagonals traverse 1 module by 0.5 modules, meaning they have a 1:2 ratio. That's a match with common wedge plates 24299 and 24307 (and others), so some fun combos are possible, helped by the element's jumped anti-stud:

Placing it on top of a 2x4 double wedge plate (51739, shown above in red) is probably the most practical of the bunch but the novelty of using the slope's central antistud on a single wedge plate (medium azure) is pretty good too.

Above left shows the new slope amongst the other members of the 2 module deep, ⅔ brick tall curved slope family, and on the right are its closest relatives: Slope Curved 2 x 2 with Stud Notches (66956) shown in lime green, and the regular version, Slope Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 (15068) in medium azure.

Distant relations include Brick Curved 2 x 2 with Curved Front, 2 Studs (7037), and Plate Special 2 x 3 with Rocks (27261). Like the new wedge slope, both have a 2 x 2 footprint (more or less) and a 1 x 2 plate sized cut-out underneath, but that's about the extent of the similarities.

Making the reverse of an element into a scary face is apparently just something I do now, so here's the newcomer (above, second left) along with my back catalogue of creepy heads. Sleep tight!

Silliness over, let's get to the sets this neat new element comes in.

77258 F1 ACADEMY LEGO Race Car

Recolours

2x Wedge Tile 2 x 2 Left in Black (6593854 | 7828)
2x Wedge Tile 2 x 2 Right in Black (6597247 | 7829)
1x Wedge Tile 2 x 2 Left in Magenta (6609412 | 7828)
1x Wedge Tile 2 x 2 Right in Magenta (6609415 | 7829)
1x Wedge Plate 3 x 4 with Stud Notches [Reinforced Underside] in Medium Azure (6609413 | 28842)
1x Tile Round 2 x 2 Half Circle in Yellow (6584404 | 5520)
2x Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Inverted in Magenta (6609414 | 99780)
2x Bracket 3 x 2 x 1 1/3 with Bottom Stud Holder in Medium Azure (6609419 | 73562)

The two new colours of this new wedge tile bring the total number of pairs to 7, all of which can be found in 2026 LEGO Speed Champions sets.

Rare parts

Appearing in two other sets or less:

1 x Tile 1 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Medium Azure Left (6510761 | 5091) and Right (6510952 | 5092)
1 x Tile 1 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Magenta Left (6542611 | 5091) and Right (6542610 | 5092)
1 x Tile Round 1 x 2 Half Circle in Magenta (6551494 | 1748)
1x Sports Ski 6L in Magenta (6609416 | 90509, 28922)
2 x Window 1 x 2 x 2 2/3 with Rounded Top in Yellow (6536144 / 3004424 / 4160819 | 30044) - A revived element previously available in 1996 & 2001, and last seen in 2025 in 77243 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 F1 Race Car

Decorations

There's a fairly even split of printed vs stickered details in the set, and the print quality and registration of both is pretty good.

Yellow

1x Slope Curved 4 x 2 with Stud Notch Right (6585418)
1x Tile 2 x 3 (6585413)
1x Slope Curved 4 x 2 with Stud Notch Left (6585415)
1x Wedge Sloped 2 x 5 Right (6585421)
1x Wedge Plate 4 x 4 with 2 x 2 Cutout (6585420)
1x Wedge Sloped 2 x 5 Left (6585419)

Black

1x + 1 spare Slope 30° 1 x 1 x 2/3 (Cheese Slope) (6585414)
1x + 1 spare Slope 30° 1 x 1 x 2/3 (Cheese Slope) (6585424)
1x Wedge Tile 2 x 2 Left (6610675)
1x Wedge Tile 2 x 2 Right (6610336)
1x Brick 1 x 3 (6585422)
1x Brick 1 x 3 (6585423)

Medium Azure

1x Plate 1 x 1 x 2/3 with Open Stud (6585417)
1x Plate 1 x 1 x 2/3 with Open Stud (6585416)

Both are also an exclusive recolour for Plate 1 x 1 x 2/3 with Open Stud (86996).

Flat Silver (Wheels)

2x Wheel Rim 24 x 13.4 with Black Slick Tyre [Soft Rubber] (6585411 | 7056pr)
2x Wheel Rim 24 x 14.9 Wide with Black Slick Tyre [Soft Rubber] (6615211 | 7057pr)

Minifigure

It's not stated officially, but the minifigure appears to be modelled on Esmee Kosterman, the premiere driver for LEGO® Racing in the F1 Academy.

The alternate hair piece, Hair Long Parted in Centre in Medium Nougat (6561915 | 36806) is uncommon, having previously appeared in just one set: 77241 2 Fast 2 Furious Honda S2000, which I reviewed last year.

The remaining new printed elements are:

1x Helmet, Formula 1 with print in White (6610335)
1x Torso with print in Black (6610756)
1x Legs with print in Black (6610334)

Techniques

An inkwell and jumper plate are used for some clean and compact stud reversal in front of the drivers compartment. A satisfying 'click' accompanies the rear wing assembly as it snaps onto the 4 exposed clips at the back of the vehicle. Seasoned LEGO Speed Champions fans will be familiar with the embedded ski technique for the little fin on the spine of the car, but it remains a fun bit of parts usage for new builders.

Completed model

Replicating the real car's complex shaping, crisscrossed in bold colours, can't have been easy. The triangular yellow section on the nose that jumps from bricks to stickered detail doesn't quite gel, but overall I commend the designers' work in capturing the key details and adapting things where necessary.

The finished model feels a bit petite compared to other LEGO Speed Champion cars. Looking at images of the real thing, this is entirely accurate as the F1 Academy cars are noticeably smaller than their regular F1 counterparts. However, it does make one question the US$27.99/ £22.99/ 27.99€/ AU$39.99 price tag, when most contemporary LEGO Speed Champions sets have higher parts counts. Perhaps a small side build, like those seen back in the 6-wide days, would've balanced the scales a little?