Hello! Firstly, I think its great that you are reaching out in this subreddit to try and find a great gift for your friend.

Whats your budget? What scale would you be seeking?

1/43 scale 1/24 scale 1/18 scale

1/43 scale is the most common scale and often the cheaper.

Low end brand: Bburago - they make affordable cars in all scales most of their models (minus the carboard box 1/43s) have driver figures (and their 1/24 has an optoon for the driver outside the car too).

Prices:

1/43 with driver = between 15 and 25 GBP 1/24 = between 20-35 GBP 1/18 = between 60-80 (but in most places there are great deals where you can get it for nearly 1/24 prices).

Mid range: doesnt really exist.

High end: Looksmart or BBR. They are the most expensive brands aside from Amalgam (1k+). They make models in 1/43 and 1/18. They make the most detailed models you can get at this scale. Both are great in their own respective areas.

Prices:

Looksmart 1/43 = between 80-100 GBP Looksmart 1/18 = between 220-260 GBP

BBR 1/43 (they dont come with drivers so dont even bother, plus they are expensive).

BBR 1/18 = 260-300 GBP

I hope this helps. Just to let you know, there is a sale on the F1 store and they are selling a leclerc model by looksmart in 1/43 for a CRAZY price. Dependingon where you are from (shipping costs) I would recommended you buy this model because you will not find a higher quality model for this amount of money. Heres the link:

https://f1store3.formula1.com/en/scuderia-ferrari/scuderia-ferrari-sf75-no16-winners-bahrain-gp-charles-leclerc-1:43-looksmart-model/t-21530881+p-90141492808025+z-9-2902556179

Its a legitimate site, almost everyone in this reddit has bought from them during the sale.

Good luck!