Ultimate F1 gifts guide 2008: Models

Whatever holiday you’re celebrating over the coming weeks make sure you – or the F1 fanatic in your life – gets the present they want.

This is the first instalment in a seven-part series with hundreds of different gifts ideas for Formula fans including DVDs, books, clothes, games and more. Today we start with a selection of F1 models.

Lewis Hamilton world championship models

Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23 World Championship Presentation 2008 (1:18)

The championship winners’ car mounted on a base with inscriptions of the 18 Grand Prix rounds on the back, and Hamilton’s season tallies of points, wins, pole positions and fastest laps on the front. But at just under £100 it’s not cheap.

• Buy the Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23 World Championship Presentation 2008 (1:18) model

Lewis Hamilton 2008 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23

A smaller version of the same car without the fancy stand. At around £30 it’s a lot cheaper too.

• Buy the Lewis Hamilton 2008 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23 model

2008 race winners

Felipe Massa 2008 Ferrari F2008

Massa’s best ever season featured six wins but he missed out on the championship by a single point. Nonetheless he out-scored world champion team mate Kimi Raikkonen over the course of the year. The F2008 model by Mattel does not feature Marlboro branding.

• Buy the Felipe Massa 2008 Ferrari F2008 model

Kimi Raikkonen 2008 Ferrari F2008

Raikkonen’s title defence was not his finest hour, but he did record a pair of wins earlier in the season. Again, this model does not feature tobacco branding.

• Buy the Kimi Raikkonen 2008 Ferrari F2008 model

Fernando Alonso 2008 Renault R28

Fernando Alonso returned to Renault and, against expectations, had the R28 winning races by the end of the year. The model has to be sold as “Renault No. 5” no doubt due to some tedious commercial technicality, but we all know who was driving the car…

• Buy the Fernando Alonso 2008 Renault R28 model

Robert Kubica 2008 BMW F1.08

Robert Kubica made history as the first Polish driver to win a round of the F1 world championship. It was also BMW’s first Formula 1 victory as a constructor.

• Buy the Robert Kubica 2008 BMW F1.08 model

Heikki Kovalainen 2008 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23

Heikki Kovalainen became the 100th driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix with his victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

• Buy the Heikki Kovalainen 2008 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23 model

Sebastian Vettel 2008 Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR3

The most remarkable win of the year? Sebastian Vettel became F1’s youngest ever winner with a calm drive in appalling weather at Monza.

• Buy the Sebastian Vettel 2008 Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR3 model

Super Aguri

Poor Super Aguri. Bags of charm, tons of pluck, just not enough money…

Although they only started four races in 2008 you can commemorate their final season with these models of Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson’s SA03. Enjoy them, because there won’t be any more…

• Buy the Takuma Sato 2008 Super Aguri-Honda SA03 model
• Buy the Anthony Davidson 2008 Super Aguri-Honda SA03 model

Recent F1 models

Kimi Raikkonen 2007 Ferrari F2007 Metallic Edition (1:18)

Early versions of Kimi Raikkonen’s world-championship winning F2007 came in the lighter red shade the team used for the first few races of the season. Versions are now available in the (more attractive, in my opinion) darker metallic red including a special edition to commemorate the team’s 200th win at Shanghai.

• Buy the Kimi Raikkonen 2007 Ferrari F2007 Metallic Edition model (1:18)

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton fans are spoiled for choice, and with his first championship in the bag some of these pieces could be collectors’ items one day. His first race and podium, first win and first F1 test are commemorated in these models:

• Buy the Lewis Hamilton 2007 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/22 Australian Grand Prix first race and first podium model
• Buy the Lewis Hamilton 2007 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/22 Canadian Grand Prix first win model
• Buy the Lewis Hamilton 2006 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/21 test car model (1:18)

Michael Schumacher

It’s two years since Michael Schumacher retired but he’s still as popular as ever. Most the models you can get are better than that anatomy one, and there are quite a few signed examples as well if you’re looking for something really special. Here’s one with a complete record of his daunting list of achievements:

• Michael Schumacher Career Statistics presentation

All models are 1:43 scale unless stated

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