A beginners guide to Topps F1 trading cards (Part 2/6): Topps Formula 1 (Flagship)

For Part 2 of this beginners guide, we’ll look at Topps Formula 1 cards – also known as Topps flagship cards (borrowed from Topps’ plain paper stock baseball flagship cards) on Topps non-US websites.

Topps only introduced flagship cards in their Formula 1 sets from their 2021 season series collection. This created a cheaper entry level price point for collectors mainly interested in base cards. The photo images for the base cards for each year (2021 and 2022) are the same across Topps flagship, Chrome and Sapphire cards.  Flagship cards are basic white background smooth gloss cards but also include the same cards with a black and white chequered flag pattern border variation.

By comparison, Chrome cards contain a laminated chrome finish layer on the card face (i.e. thicker card stock) and Sapphire has a further coloured shattered mirror background finish to its card face. Chrome and Sapphire cards are preferred by serious card collectors due to their more premium card finish, construction, lower card populations, rarer variations and autograph cards.

One other key difference between flagship and Chrome/Sapphire sets are their ‘insert’ cards. Insert cards are limited sets of driver and car cards with a specific background theme or artistic layout. For example, in the 2022 flagship collection, there are insert cards with “Clean Air Blue Skies”, “Flash of Brilliance” and the 2021 series included insert cards like “Apex Predators”. Chrome cards for the same season have different themed inserts than the flagship set  e.g. “Constructors Coalition” in 2022 Chrome set.

Topps F1 2021 and 2022 packs (Fernando swapped for Lando on the 2022 pack cover)

Pack wise, Topps Formula 1 flagship contain 8 cards per pack (double the number of a Chrome pack). Each pack originates from a Topps Formula 1 box. To confuse things, Topps produce a few different box configurations for flagship cards:

1. Topps Formula 1 hobby box contains 20 packs per box. Hobby boxes might contain a relic card which is a card of a driver or team principal with some fabric from the team overalls in a circle cutout. The chance is one relic card every 2 hobby boxes. These cards are a much cheaper accessible version of the fabric relic cards that Topps’ high end Topps’ Dynasty card collection is known for. In the 2022 set, hobby boxes also contain a larger size (166cm x 11cm) “box topper” art du prix card. Both relic and box topper cards also have limited numbered coloured parallel print variations. For instance for red relic cards, there are only 5 numbered cards in circulation.

Hobby box and included box topper card. This one is Barcelona circuit box topper card.

2. Topps Formula 1 blaster/value box contains 10 packs per box  but none of these packs will contain a relic card. If you after rainbow foil cards, these can only be pulled from packs coming from a blaster box. There are 4 rainbow foil cards per blaster box.

So if you get your hands on a sealed Topps Formula 1 (flagship) pack, it’s best to check  what type of box it came from to understand what types of special cards might possibly be inside.

Also, if you’re  buying a single sealed Topps Formula 1 (flagship) pack online, don’t assume you have a chance of pulling a relic card. If a pack contains a relic card, there will only be 6 cards in the pack due to the increased thickness of the relic card. The pack weight will only be slightly lighter but there is a difference. See the section on relic cards below.

2021 flagship pack rear (this one is made in Canada). Topps publish their card variations odds on the back of their packs which provides very useful information.

At the back of each pack, Topps prints out the different kinds of parallel cards and the pack odds for pulling these cards.

In the 2021 Topps Formula 1 (flagship) series these include:

• chequered flag (1 per pack)
• numbered base parallels – aqua #/199 (1:13 packs), blue #/99 (1:25 packs), gold #/50 (1:50 packs), orange #/25 (1:99 packs), black #/10 (:248 packs), red #/5 (1:498 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:2,477 packs).
• base card image variation (1:165 packs)
• Apex Predators insert (1:6 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:661 packs), orange #/25 (1:1,322 packs), red #/5 (1:6,512 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:31,968 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:8,373 packs).
• Debrief insert (1:5 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:496 packs), orange #/25 (1:991 packs), red #/5 (1:4,953 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:25,118 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:6,170 packs)
• Topps 1961 insert (1:5 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:397 packs), orange #/25 (1:792 packs), red #/5 (1:3,996 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:19,536 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:4,953 packs)
• Flags of Foundation insert (1:9 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:330 packs), orange #/25 (1:661 packs), red #/5 (1:3,318 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:15,985 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:4,953 packs).
• F1 relic cards (1:75 packs) – parallels: blue(1:116 packs), gold (1:230 packs), black (1:1,150 packs), foilfractor (1:11,344packs)

In the 2022 Topps Formula 1 (flagship) series, the special card odds are:

2022 flagship pack rear. Note a lot more parallel card variations compared to 2021. This pack is made in Mexico

• chequered flag (1 per pack)
• numbered base parallels: aqua #/199 (1:24 packs), fuchsia #/150 (1:32 packs), yellow #/125 (1:38 packs), blue #/99 (1:48 packs), green #/75 (1:64 packs), gold #/50 (1:95 packs), orange #/25 (1:190 packs), black #/10 (1:475 packs), red #/5 (1:950 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:4,735 packs).
• base card image variation (1:317 packs)
• Clean Air Blue Skies insert (1:4 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:1,905 packs), orange #/25 (1:13,788 packs), red #/5 (1:18,938 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:94,686 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:23,672 packs).
• Flash of Brilliance insert (1:4 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:1,268 cards), orange #/25 (1:2,530 packs), red #/5 (1:12,506 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:60,255 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:15,781 packs)
• Topps 1968 Hot rod insert (1:4 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:950 packs), orange #/25 (1:1,950 packs), red #/5 (1:9,606 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:47,343 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:11,836 packs).
• Bounce Rock Race Roll insert (1:10 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:1,268 packs), orange #/25 (1:2,530 packs), red #/5 (1:12,506 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:60,255 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:15,781 packs)
• Art du Grand Prix (1:240 packs) – parallels: gold #/50 (1:3,788 packs), orange #/25 (1:7,619 packs), red #/5 (1:36,823 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:65,700 packs), printing plates 1/1 (1:47,373 packs)
• F1 relic cards (1:73) – parallels: blue #/99 (1:217 packs), green #/75 (1:286 packs), gold #/50 (1:428 packs), black #/10 (1:2,139 packs), red #/5 (1:4,277 packs), foilfractor 1/1 (1:20,713 packs)

As you can see, Topps chose to produce additional parallel colour cards for 2022 and due to the increased print quantity, the odds for parallel cards in 2022 is much higher (although there are arguably a lot more parallel colour shades now too).

In the 2022 collection, there are 10 image variations of the base cards which offers another avenue for rarity. The image variation cards for flagship are different to the image variations for Chrome even though both sets have the same base card images.

2022 Flagship ordinary base card #22 is Checo Perez

2022 Flagship image variation card #22 though is Carlos!

Why would you want to buy Topps Formula 1 flagship cards? For relic cards, of course!

Aside from the cheaper cost of flagship boxes compared to Chrome and Sapphire boxes, the possibility of relic cards are the main reason why collectors will bother buying Topps Formula 1 cards instead of Chrome F1 cards.

Mick Schumacher base relic card from 2022 Topps Formula 1 series

Relic cards contain actual fabric cut from team overalls so offer a bit more of a genuine memorabilia vibe. The fabric is exposed via an open hole cutout in the card.

These cards are much thicker than a standard flagship card – I estimate equal to the thickness of 3 cards. A normal flagship pack appears to be around 16g constant but a relic pack seems to be a tad lighter.

Relic cards are thicker!

So if you are looking to buy single sealed flagship pack online be careful not to assume that the seller hasn’t already weighed the pack to eliminate the chance that it could contain a relic card. If you are aiming to get a relic card, you will probably have better odds buying a sealed hobby box.

Keep in mind, relic cards are not guaranteed in any one hobby box as Topps state the odds are 1 every 2 hobby boxes. So you would be very unlucky not to pull a relic card from 2 or 3 boxes but you will end up with a large stack of repeat cards!

Standard flagship pack weight (8 cards per pack)

Flagship pack weight with a relic card (only 6 cards in the pack)

Flagship relic cards do come in numbered parallels with different coloured backgrounds and there are a few drivers that have 2 relic cards with different photos (Yuki, Carlos, George, Fernando, Zhou, Lewis, Lando, Mick and Sebastian). The cloth fabric in most cases are a basic single colour fabric. I’ve only seen a few flagship relic cards online where the fabric cutout has included some different coloured patches, partial sponsor or lettering – these tend to be the rarer foilfractor or red parallel relic cards. In most cases, the cloth in relic cards will be a single colour fabric.

Flagship cards snapshot:

Card size: standard 3.5″ x 2.5″

Thickness: feels like 16pt paper stock

Texture: Slippery gloss front, matt rear

Finishing/Detail: Basic white background for base cards. Parallel cards have coloured border

Cost: hobby box Topps retail list price (20 packs x 8 cards per pack): US$129.99/£130; value box Topps retail list price (10 packs x 6 cards per pack): $US24.99; flagship pack (6 cards per pack) Topps UK retail list price: £6.50

Comments and Tips for collecting

• Is a hobby box worth buying? If you get a hobby box that equals to 160 cards altogether (8 cards x 20 packs). In the 2022 series, there are 200 base cards and there were 175 base cards in the 2021 series. I bought a 2022 Topps Formula 1 hobby box and out of the 160 cards, I found very few repeat cards in my box and inside was a Mick Schumacher relic card and 2 parallel numbered driver cards (fuschia and aqua). I managed to grab this the box during a discount sale (for approx $US70), so for that spend I got a driver relic card, 2 low value parallels and about 70% of the base set with most of the driver portrait cards included. For a first time box purchase, I’m mildly satisfied but if I had paid Topps’ full retail list price for a 2022 flagship hobby box (US$129.99) and there was no relic card, I would have been majorly disappointed. If you are a beginner, its probably worth buying one sealed hobby box if on sale. If you buy multiple boxes, you will definitely end up with a lot of unwanted excess repeat cards.

• Checkered flag cards. It might be a personal thing but I find the checkered flag variation of the base cards visually irritating even though the odds of these cards are rarer at 1 card per pack. If you just want to collect the full set of base flagship cards, these scattered checkered flag cards look out of place (unless you commit to getting a complete set of checkered base cards). While single checkered cards are offered online at higher prices than base cards, I don’t think they are more valuable.

• Consider complete base sets sold online. Sealed hobby or blaster/value boxes for a previous season increase in price over time. For instance, if you were late to the game and want to compile a 2021 flagship base card set, it would be easier (and most probably much cheaper) to just hop onto ebay and find a complete flagship set rather than try to buy sealed flagship hobby box or sealed single 2021 packs.

• Hunting for relic cards. Unless you’re a hardcore professional card collector, don’t just buy a hobby box just for the sake of trying to land a valuable relic card. Even if you a pull a relic card, it may be one of a team principal that you couldn’t care less about. In most cases it will be cheaper to keep an eye on ebay or other auction sites to find a relic card of your favourite driver. 2022 Topps card resell prices are definitely falling due to market saturation, so you can afford to be patient and wait for a relic card of your liking to be offered up for a reasonable price.

• Figure out the cost per card you’re prepared to pay. Do some math based on the your buy cost per flagship card for a sealed pack, sealed box and single cards or bulk lots on online auction sites. To collect a complete set of flagship base cards you shouldn’t need to spend more than $100 (which could be a combination of packs, discounted box or second hand cards or bundles).

• Are you a card investor/trader or just a collector? The biggest issue you will need to personally decide is how much money to spend on flagship versus using some of your budget on Turbo Attax (for collectors) or Chrome (investor/traders). If you plan on buying Chrome cards you need to bear in mind that the card image are the same for flagship and base flagship cards don’t fetch very high resell prices if you plan on offloading your cards. Chrome cards hold more value but are also suffering from saturation.

The next instalment in this series guide will look more closely at the hugely popular Topps Chrome F1 cards.

2021 Flagship base cards are clean white…except for the checkered flag parallels (which are rarer but do they look better?)

To view previous instalments in this guide, click below:

Part 1: Turbo Attax F1

Part 3: F1 Chrome

Part 4: F1 Chrome Sapphire

Part 5: Topps F1 Lights Out

Part 6: Topps Now F1