2021 Topps F1 Chrome is scheduled to be released March 9, 2022, giving the chromium touch to the flagship release. Originally scheduled for last fall, the product was pushed back six months.
The follow-up to a 2020 release, 2021 Chrome F1 will have multiple configurations, aimed at offering a lower priced option–and maybe getting into the hands of more collectors.
2021 Topps Formula 1 Configuration and Base Set
Topps will offer a standard Hobby box, with 18 packs of four cards (12 boxes per case), a Hobby Lite box with 16 packs of four cards (16 boxes per case) and a Value box option. The Lite version, at least, will have exclusive Ray Wave parallels, but Hobby boxes are likely where the autographs will land.
The base set will carry 200 cards featuring drivers from both the F1 and F2 circuits along with crew members and team principals. There will be parallels a’plenty including:
• Refractor Parallel – 1 in every 3 packs
• Checker Flag Parallel – 1 per box (new)
• Purple/Green Refractor Parallel – 1:36 Packs
• Gold/Purple Refractor Parallel – 1:80 Packs
• Orange/Red Refractor Parallel – 1:100 Packs
• Red/Green Refractor Parallel – 1:190 Packs
• Purple Refractor Parallel – #’d to 399
• Purple Checker Flag Parallel – #’d to 199 (new)
• Gold Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Checker Flag Parallel – #’d to 50 (Hobby Only) (new)
• Orange Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Orange Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Orange Checker Flag Parallel – #’d to 25 (new)
• Red Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• Red Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• Red Checker Flag Parallel – #’d to 5 (Hobby Only) (new)
• SuperFractor Parallel – #’d 1-of-1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1
Parallels that are exclusive to LITE boxes include:
- Black & White Ray Wave 1 in every 4 packs
- Green Ray Wave #’d to 99
- Gold Ray Wave #d to 50
- Red Ray Wave #’d to 5
- Black Ray Wave 1-of-1
There will be image variations for the base cards as well.
Autographs
As usual with Topps Chrome, the autograph roster isn’t complicated, with no subsets or other quirks. Chrome Autographs are the standard with serial numbered parallels that include:
• Green Refractor Parallel – #’d to 99
• Gold Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Orange Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor Parallel – #’d 1-of-1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1
Insert Cards
The insert card checklist also isn’t a big one. The new Path to the Podium cards fall one in every six packs in hobby boxes and feature some of the top drivers in the sport who “are always in the mix for the podium on race day,” according to Topps. Parallel versions include:
• Gold Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Orange Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor Parallel – #’d 1-of-1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1
Redliners inserts are also new and fall one in every six packs. They’ll focus on drivers who “love to push their RPM to their limits consistently.”
• Gold Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Orange Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor Parallel – #’d 1-of-1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1
Topps has cooked up another new insert using an obscure old non-sports product it produced 50 years ago: 1961 Topps Sports Cars. The F1 cards will be designed in that mode. They’ll be somewhat common, dropping in every three packs.
• Gold Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Gold Wave Refractor Parallel – #’d to 50
• Orange Refractor Parallel – #’d to 25
• Red Refractor Parallel – #’d to 5
• SuperFractor Parallel – #’d 1-of-1
• Printing Plates – #’d 1-of-1