What year did Max Verstappen's rookie cards come out?

In the modern licensed sense, 2020. Verstappen debuted in Formula 1 in 2015, but Topps didn't hold a licensed F1 trading-card program until 2020 — so 2020 Topps Chrome Formula 1 is the first widely collected licensed set of him, and the market treats it as his modern rookie anchor. Note that Formula 1 has no paper flagship base set — Chrome is itself the base set.

Which year of Verstappen cards is the most collectible?

The 2020 Chrome debut set anchors a collection because it's his first licensed chrome year, so demand concentrates there — especially on graded base and numbered refractors. His four consecutive championship years (2021 through 2024) each add cards tied to record-setting seasons. Rather than a single 'best' year, collectors weigh the rookie-year anchor against the on-track story of each season; always compare live sold listings for the exact card, parallel and grade.

How many world championships has Max Verstappen won?

Four, and consecutively — 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. That championship run is a big reason his card market held up: each title year gave collectors a fresh reason to chase that season's cards, and the record-setting 2022 and 2023 seasons (most wins in a single F1 season) are especially significant on-track milestones behind the cards.

Are older Verstappen cards better than new ones?

Not automatically. The 2020 debut year carries rookie-anchor demand, but newer sets can be scarcer in specific parallels or add new formats. Age is only one factor — set, parallel, print run and grade all matter more than the calendar year alone. Read the parallel and serial number on the card itself and check what that exact card actually sold for.

What sets should I look for each year?

Every year from 2020 on, the core targets are Topps Chrome Formula 1 (the base set, plus refractors and numbered parallels) and the online-exclusive Chrome Sapphire edition (glassy finish, its own parallel ladder). Higher-end programs — Dynasty, Eccellenza, Lights Out, Finest, Paddock Pass — add autographs, relics and 1/1s. There is no paper Topps F1 flagship tier below Chrome, whatever a listing says. Check our release calendar for what's current and upcoming.

Max Verstappen Cards Year by Year: 2020 Debut to Today

If you’re building a Max Verstappen collection, the fastest way to understand the market is chronologically — his cards track one of the most dominant runs in Formula 1 history, and each season adds its own sets and story. This is the year-by-year map: what exists, why each year matters, and where the cards actually trade.

Verstappen debuted in F1 in 2015 and was a race winner years before Topps held a modern license — so the trading-card timeline doesn’t start until 2020, when the official Topps Formula 1 program launched. Everything below flows from that anchor.

Quick reference: Verstappen by year

Year	On-track story	Key card targets
2020	Race winner, pre-title	Debut licensed set — 2020 Topps Chrome F1 (his modern rookies)
2021	1st World Championship	2021 Chrome F1 review, Chrome Sapphire
2022	2nd title — record wins in a season	2022 Chrome F1 review, Chrome Sapphire, high-end autos
2023	3rd title — record 19 wins	2023 Chrome F1 review (Verstappen at #1–4, #102, plus CAC-MV auto), Chrome Sapphire
2024	4th consecutive title	2024 Chrome F1 review (#1, #73, #145, #182–183), Chrome Sapphire, Dynasty, Eccellenza, Finest, Paddock Pass
2025	Current season	Chrome (#1, #73), Sapphire, LogoFractor, Dynasty, Eccellenza (race-worn suit 1/1), Lights Out
2026	Upcoming	See the release calendar

Print runs and exact parallel line-ups shift year to year, so treat the “key targets” as a map, not a guarantee — always read the parallel and serial number on the card itself.

2020 — the debut year (the anchor)

This is where a modern Verstappen collection begins. 2020 Topps Chrome Formula 1 was the debut year of Topps’ licensed F1 program, making it the first widely collected licensed set of Verstappen — his modern rookie anchor. There is no paper sibling: Formula 1 has no flagship base set, so Chrome is both the base set and the home of the refractors and numbered parallels that drive value.

Because it’s the rookie-anchor year, demand concentrates here — especially on graded base and low-numbered refractors. Full breakdown in our 2020 Topps Chrome Formula 1 review and the rookie cards guide.

2021–2024 — the championship dynasty

This four-year stretch is the heart of the Verstappen card market, because it’s the heart of his career: four consecutive World Championships (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). Each title year gave collectors a fresh reason to chase that season’s cards.

2021 — 1st title. The breakthrough championship. Cards from this year carry the “first title” story — full breakdown in our 2021 Topps Chrome Formula 1 review.
2022 — 2nd title. A record-setting season for single-year wins, which makes the on-track milestone behind the cards especially significant — full breakdown in our 2022 Topps Chrome Formula 1 review.
2023 — 3rd title. A record 19 wins across the season — statistically his most dominant year, broken down in our 2023 Topps Chrome Formula 1 review.
2024 — 4th straight title. Cements one of the longest championship runs in modern F1 — a title earned the hard way against a resurgent field, broken down in our 2024 Topps Chrome Formula 1 review.

Across all four years the target tiers stay consistent: Topps Chrome Formula 1 for the base cards and for the refractors and numbered parallels (decoded in our parallels & refractors guide), and the online-exclusive Chrome Sapphire for the glassy edition prized by parallel chasers. The high-end signed side is covered in the autographs & chrome guide.

2025 — the current year

The current-season sets follow the same structure: Chrome (the base set, plus refractors and parallels — Verstappen at #1 and #73 in 2025) and Sapphire (online-exclusive), with premium Dynasty, Eccellenza and Lights Out releases above them. If you were expecting a paper flagship tier, there isn’t one. Current-year cards are the most available and the cheapest entry point into a Verstappen collection, and they’re where new collectors usually start ripping.

2026 and beyond

For what’s releasing next and when, the release calendar is kept current with the upcoming Topps F1 schedule. New sets slot straight into the same ladder — base, Chrome refractors, Sapphire, and high-end autos and 1/1s.

How to buy by era

Singles from every year trade on eBay, not Amazon, so search the live market for the exact year and finish you want. The rail below opens live listings by era — the 2020 rookie year, the championship dynasty, Sapphire, current-year cards, and graded slabs. For anything at a serious price point, buy it graded (PSA or SGC) so condition and authenticity are locked in — our grading guide covers which cards are worth grading and when it pays off.

New here? Start with collecting Max Verstappen & F1 cards for the big picture, then the “what’s it worth” guide for reading values by card type and grade. Background on the team behind the dynasty is on our Red Bull Racing hub, and the full driver profile lives on the Max Verstappen player page.