Topps releases 2024 Topps Finest F1 set
If you’re having trouble keeping up with the recent flood of new Topps F1 card series, Topps have just released the “Topps Finest” series of F1 cards for the 2024 season. Just like for their MLB, UFC, NFL, MLS sports licences, the Topps Finest collection use a paint splash and graffiti style background theme.
The base set is massive at 300 cards divided up into common, uncommon and rare cards containing 100 cards each and also have refractor parallels (standard refractor, blue, die-cut, gold, black, red, Superfractor). It appears there are lots of parallels and inserts in this set – so expect to hit lots of repeat cards/variations. A wide variety of inserts include Chaos, Initimidators, Headliners, Worlds Finest, Masters (similar to Chrome Tennis), Slipstream, Bombardiers, Winners Circle and Centurions. The die cut refractors have irregular jagged card edges.
The common, uncommon and rare categories are identified by where the paint splash background appears in the card.
One surprise with the 20 driver cards is the missing 2nd RB driver – no Daniel or Liam. They have dropped Kimi Raikkonen as card #18? Franco fans will get to pickup his WilliamsF1 portrait card though. Like 2024 Chrome and Attax sets, the field of F2 and F3 drivers are included along with legends cards (Senna, Mansell, Prost, Schumacher, Coulthard).
Like the Paddock Pass, this set includes the chance of memorabilia relic cards of drivers and team principals – these inserts include different card designs such as F1 Relics, Finest Duos (teammates), Raceday Relics and Track Attack Relics. These relic inserts come in serial numbered parallels (/99) and more limited parallels (blue, green, gold, black, red & Superfractor). The Finest Duos set omits WilliamsF1 and Visa Cash App RB but bizarrely teams Michael Schumacher and Nigel Mansell for one legends card (#FDR-LEG1). There is no Franco Colapinto, Danny Ric or Liam Lawson relic cards but Raceday relics includes Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher relic cards.
There are different autograph card inserts too – Drivers (F1 & F2 drivers – also look out for Sir Jackie Stewart and Gerhard Berger), Finest Duos (no WilliamsF1 or RB tramcars but Juan Montoya & Kimi Raikkonen and Mario Andretti paired with Mika Hakkinen are included!) and Starting Grid with driver autograph and car (again no Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson but Emerson Fittipaldi has an auto card!).
Each pack contains 10 cards and hobby boxes contain – Topps mentions that each hobby box on average contains 1 or 2 relic cards, 4 inserts and 6 parallels. Each hobby box has 6 packs.
Unless you have spare cash or are a diehard collector, it’s fair to say that most collectors will have been fatigued by the quick releases of 2024 Turbo Attax, Chrome, Eccellenza, Paddock Pass and now Topps Finest so early in the year – so much so that there are now lots of vendors selling complete base sets for a fraction of a new hobby box price. These new Topps card series seem all about collecting inserts, relics and autographs – the base cards themselves have limited value compared to the unit cost when buying a fresh pack or hobby box.
The most likely appeal of Topps Finest is going to be the good strike rate of pulling memorabilia relic cards for hobby boxes and for some, the more youthful splash paint backgrounds.
However just like Chrome, some of the Topps Finest driver photos are recycled from Attax, so they aren’t totally unique and of course, the problem of less desirable excess F2 and F3 driver cards is also going to be an issue.
