Another month, another addition to my 1:64 F1 collection. No-one could accuse Hot Wheels of failing to make the most of their Formula 1 licence. The rollout of the 2025 cars continues apace, both in basic and Premium singles, as well as expansions to the line – notably, these team-based, Premium 2-Packs. I believe that sets for Haas, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, RB, Sauber and Williams have all been released so far.
(find Hot Wheels Premium F1 2-Packs on eBay)
Are these models any different to what you’ll find in the Premium F1 singles? No. But as I see it, there are two advantages to these sets. One, you get a fancy box and plinth, if you like that kind of thing. Two, and more importantly from my point of view, you can actually get your hands on the 2025 cars. Here in Calgary (and I imagine it’s a problem in some other areas, too), the Premium F1 pegs remain clogged with piles of unsold Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri McLarens from earlier in the year, so we’re missing later waves that have cars from other teams.
I don’t need to buy every release, but Williams has always been my favourite team, so I was happy when a friend was able to grab this set for me (not that it’s in particular demand, judging by the unsold examples I’ve seen of this and others team sets).
Priced at C$25 here in Canada, the 2-Pack works out slightly more expensive than buying two singles, but I don’t mind the small premium for the convenience of not having to chase down separate Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz cars that are potentially in different waves, one or more of which might not even make it to my local store (see above).
So, what do you get for your money? In the case of the Williams set, it’s an attractive window box with the team graphics, showcasing the two cars on a plastic plinth. Alex and Carlos’s grinning mugs adorn the backside of the box, while their cars appear one on each end. Appropriately, the set is Made in Thailand, just like Albon’s mother!
Break the seal, and out slides the inner packaging, out from which slides the plinth. The cars are screwed to the plinth in familiar fashion.
I’ve written before about the hit-and-miss printing method used on these Premium F1 releases. Unfortunately, because the Williams retained a multi-coloured paint scheme in 2025, it’s still subjected to the fuzzy, all-over digital-inkjet graphics, rather than a clean, painted finish with logos printed on top. It’s not terrible, though, and the crispness of the sponsor logos is impressive. As I’ve also written before, you can’t really argue at this price point, which is way below what you’d pay for a Mini GT or BBR model, for example, while the comparably priced Bburagos are plastic.
In short, you know what you’re getting with a Hot Wheels Premium F1 car – a good, true-1:64-scale replica that looks accurate, rolls beautifully, and is satisfyingly heavy thanks to the metal base – but might have a fuzzy ‘paint’ finish that looks better from a distance. For me, that still makes the cars that I really want, like this Williams set, well worth the money, but won’t stop me buying F1 models from other brands. This year, for example, I’ve also acquired F1 cars new and old from Bburago, Kyosho, Mini GT, Pop Race and Tomica.
A close look at the breaks in the casting confirms that the bodywork tooling is new
I feel that the distribution of these Premium F1 models remains a problem, however. Awesome as it is to see so many F1 cars on the pegs – let’s not forget, there were almost no 1:64 F1 cars being made, just a few years ago – it seems that supply is outstripping demand in some places. At least in my area, the initial excitement at seeing Hot Wheels F1 models in, say, Walmart, has worn off – for collectors and casual buyers alike. As a result, some collectors will find it harder to pick up the releases they want. Anybody interested in a job lot of McLarens? I know just the place…
Happy collecting!
(find Hot Wheels Premium F1 2-Packs on eBay)
(Know a young race fan? Check out my children’s book, 20 Great Race Cars)
(follow me on Instagram @diecast215)
