2021 Topps Chrome Formula 1: Verstappen's First-Title Year
The set from Max Verstappen's first World Championship season — the second year of Topps' Chrome F1 program. What the base, refractors and numbered parallels are, and how to buy them on eBay.
2021 Topps Chrome Formula 1 is the set from the season that changed everything for Max Verstappen: his first World Championship, sealed at the Abu Dhabi finale after a season-long fight with Lewis Hamilton. Every card in this set carries that “first title” story, which is a big reason collectors treat it as one of the milestone years in his run — the on-track significance sits behind the cardboard.
Why 2021 is a milestone year
Verstappen’s modern card timeline starts in 2020, the debut year of Topps’ licensed F1 program and the anchor of his rookie-era cards. 2021 is the second year of that Chrome program — so these are second-year cards, not rookies — but it’s the year the results caught up to the hype. Winning his first championship gave the whole season a fresh reason to be chased, and it kicked off the four-consecutive-title run (2021–2024) that defines his card market. If 2020 is the rookie anchor, 2021 is the “it happened” year.
The card ladder, base to 1/1
As with any Chrome set, everything is the same card photo dressed in a different finish. Reading that ladder is how you know what you’re holding:
- Base — the standard chrome finish. The accessible entry point and a clean target for a first graded card.
- Refractor — adds the signature rainbow shimmer. The first real step up in scarcity and shine.
- Numbered color parallels — Topps builds a rainbow of colored refractors, each serial-numbered. The lower the print run, the scarcer the card and, generally, the stronger the price.
- 1/1 SuperFractor — the single rarest version of any given card, sitting at the top of the rainbow.
New to reading that ladder? Our parallels & refractors guide decodes every tier and what a serial like /50 actually means.
The Sapphire edition
Topps has issued an online-exclusive Chrome F1 Sapphire edition alongside standard Chrome for most years of the program — a glassier chromium finish with its own parallel ladder, prized by collectors who chase the shiniest version of a card. Graded-slab listings confirm 2020 and 2021 Sapphire F1 cards exist, but no public checklist covers Topps F1 before 2023, so we don’t publish 2021 Sapphire card numbers or print runs here. Sapphire trades separately from standard Chrome, so confirm which edition a listing is before you buy. Full breakdown in our Topps Chrome F1 Sapphire set guide.
How to buy the 2021 Chrome Verstappen
Singles from this set trade on eBay, not Amazon, so search the live market for the exact card and finish you want. Use the buttons below to open current listings for the base, refractors, numbered parallels, the Sapphire edition and graded copies. For anything at a serious price point, buy it graded (PSA or SGC) — chrome shows wear on the edges and surface easily, so a slab protects both condition and authenticity. Our grading guide covers which cards are worth grading and when it pays off.
To see how this first-title year fits the wider timeline, follow the year-by-year Verstappen card guide from the 2020 debut through all four championships, and compare it against the 2020 Topps Chrome Formula 1 rookie set that anchors the run and the 2022 Topps Chrome Formula 1 record-wins set from his second title. New to the program? Start with the rookie cards guide for the full set-family map, then the “what’s it worth” page for reading values by card type and grade. For the high-end signed side of the Topps program, see the autographs & chrome guide, and for how his cards fit the wider hobby, our collecting guide. Background on the team he won the title with is on our Red Bull Racing page.
Find singles from this set on eBay
Rookies, refractors, numbered parallels and autos from this set trade on eBay, not Amazon — these open live listings for each. Buy graded (PSA or SGC) for anything at a serious price point.