Here’s my (almost) complete Bburago Red Bull RB21 Japan GP 2025 1:43 display piece. This is probably the final update… for now. Lol

A few months ago, I started collecting 1:64 F1 models, and as of today I have almost the entire 2025 grid. Eventually I wanted something bigger, so I started looking into 1:24s and 1:18s. While browsing online, I came across this driverless Bburago RB21 Japan GP 2025 1:43 for just $8. Considering how inflated model prices are where I live, it was too good to pass up.

The problem? Driverless models are… kind of boring.

It just sat on my shelf looking lifeless. I almost sold it to help fund a premium model with an acrylic display case, but then I saw a few posts here where people had displayed their 1:18s with driver figures, pit boards, and other accessories. That gave me an idea.

I went down the rabbit hole on a Chinese marketplace and found aftermarket driver figures, pit boards, trophies, and even full pit wall dioramas. I made a shopping list, placed an order, and this project officially began.

Swapping to hard tyres

While waiting for the parts to arrive, I started modifying the car. I bought a Bburago Mercedes W13 purely as a hard tyre donor and swapped its tyres onto the RB21.

Removing them was a nightmare.

The W13 came apart without much effort, but Bburago seems to have redesigned the wheel assembly on the 2025 cars, making tyre swaps much more difficult. I even managed to cut myself with a flathead screwdriver during the process.

Sanding the tyres

One of the best ideas I picked up from this subreddit was sanding the tyres to give them a race-worn look.

I started with 240-grit sandpaper to remove the mould seams and rough up the surface, then finished with 400-grit to smooth everything out. It made a surprisingly big difference.

Adding antennas, pitot tubes, and floor supports

After seeing the level of detail on my 1:24 Mercedes W11, I wanted to bring some of that realism to the RB21.

People here suggested using staple wire for the antennas and Tamiya cement to attach them. My hands aren’t exactly the steadiest, so it took a few attempts, but thankfully everything went on cleanly without damaging the model.

Fixing the wheel rims

While comparing the model to photos of the real RB21, I noticed the yellow ring around the wheel nuts was oversized.

To fix it, I bought acrylic paint markers, matte acrylic medium, and some fine brushes. There are still a few imperfections if you look closely, but I’m much happier with how they turned out.

I also used the same paint to hide the superglue residue around the floor supports. While I was at it, I picked up a metallic silver acrylic pen and repainted the exhaust, giving it a much more realistic metallic finish than the stock plastic look.

Finishing touches

Once all the aftermarket parts arrived, everything finally came together.

I picked up a display case with an LED light panel to finish it off, and it completely changed how the model looks on the shelf.

The only thing still missing is one pit board—the “Super Max Wins” board—which is why I’m calling this almost complete. Thankfully, the seller didn’t hesitate to help. I sent them my unboxing video showing that it was missing, and they immediately agreed to send a replacement without any questions asked.

Honestly, I never expected to get this invested in a Bburago model, let alone spend weeks modifying one, but it ended up being one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve done.

Total cost (USD)

$8.00 = Bburago RB21
$10.49 = Bburago Mercedes W13 (hard tyre donor)
$11.69 = Max Verstappen 1:43 figure
$9.00 = P1 marker and pit boards
$2.79 = Display Case Nameplate
$11.80 = Display case with LED light panel
$6.36 = Acrylic paint markers, metallic silver acrylic pen, matte acrylic medium, and brushes

Total: $60.13

Still comfortably below the price of a Spark or Minichamps.

Would I do it again?

Maybe. If Bburago takes another step forward with its 2026 lineup, I’d seriously consider doing this again instead of buying a Spark or Minichamps straight away.

There’s something really satisfying about turning an $8 driverless model into a display piece that’s uniquely yours. It may not be as accurate or as detailed as the premium brands, but building and personalizing it yourself made the finished product far more rewarding.

A few weeks ago, I picked up a driverless 1:24 DeAgostini/Ixo/Premium Collectibles Mercedes W11. It looked a little plain on its own, so I saw it as the perfect excuse to turn it into a proper display piece.

Thankfully, there are still plenty of aftermarket 1:24 figures from this era available online. I added Lewis Hamilton’s iconic Black Panther pose figure, along with a P1 pit board that’s technically made for a 1:18 model. It’s oversized for the scale, but honestly, it still looks convincing and helps bring the display to life.

What started as a rather boring diecast has now become the centerpiece of my collection.

Alas… parts for my 1:43 Bburago RB21 Japan GP project have finally showed up.

Can’t wait to put this thing together!

Modifications:

- Swapped to hard tyres (sanded)
- Added pitot tubes, floor supports, and DRS actuator
- Painted the rims black
- Applied a matte finish to the rims
- Touched up the carbon fiber around the floor supports
- Glued the axles to stop the wheels from rolling

Came in the mail yesterday. New brand, only 15.99 usd a piece. I’m genuinely impressed. The casting and details are excellent, honestly feels like a carbon copy of Tarmac Works, but cheaper. Nice to finally have something other than F1 cars to the collection.

Just a little update from my previous post. Figured it’d be cool to add a pitot tube and the floor supports. Took me about 3 hours, and my fingers are now covered in super glue lol

After collecting 1:64s of the 2025 grid, I finally pulled the trigger on my first 1:43.

This time I didn’t just want to collect—I wanted to turn it into a little passion project.

I started with a driverless Bburago RB21 in the Japan GP livery and another model with hard tyres. I sanded the tyres down to give them that worn, post-race parc fermé look.

Since the rest of the parts won’t be here for another 10 days, I couldn’t resist making a few tweaks in the meantime. I added a tiny staple wire to replicate the DRS actuator, and I’m planning a few more subtle details while I wait.

I’ve also got a display case, some accessories, and a Max figure on the way from China.

I’ll definitely post some progress pics as everything comes together. Really excited to see how this turns out.

Saw a post a few days ago that Bburago will be releasing the SF-25 1:64 in the Monza livery with helmets. This morning, I found this. Interesting.

Mercedes W11 1:24 by Premium Collectibles. Got this from Amazon for 50usd and I’m honestly blown away by the quality.

This is my first 1:24 scale F1 model, and man… it’s gonna be hard to stick to 1:64s after this. The extra detail is just too good.

Finally got some shelves to display my growing collection. Just waiting for my Spark AMR25 in US GP livery and the Minichamps Mercedes W16 MDX Exclusive to arrive, and my 2025 grid is complete.

Now the question is - do I start collecting bigger scales or just stick with 1:64? 😅 The extra detail on larger scales is tempting, but the availability of 1:64 models from where I live is just too hard to ignore lol.

Wing mirror got broken after a very slight tap. Out of all the models I have right now, Spark has the most fragile wing mirrors. Anybody know what glue I can use to put it back on?

Another addition to my growing collection

Everything started when I went to a hobby shop in Tokyo after the Japan GP weekend this year. I had the option to pick the Minichamps64 MCL39, but I went for the Hotwheels Premium instead, thinking this would just be a one-time purchase anyway.

Got back to my home country🇵🇭, took the packaging off, and immediately got disappointed with the quality. Should’ve picked that Minichamps64 with the driver figure instead. Wasn’t even aware that Spark has a gallery in Tokyo.

Since then, I’ve been hopping from toy store to toy store these past few weeks. Thankfully, some shops here have Bburago, Tarmac works, Mini GT, and Spark.

So far, Spark has easily become my favorite. Absolutely love the grooved inters on the Sauber C45 British GP!