McLaren doesn’t do quiet eras. Not on track. Not in the paddock. And now, definitely not in the hobby.
Because Topps has just dropped something we have never seen before: a dedicated McLaren Racing team set. The first of its kind from Topps, built around one of the most iconic names in motorsport and loaded with exactly the kind of cards F1 collectors have been waiting for.
This is papaya front and centre. A true celebration of one of motorsport’s greatest bloodlines. The Senna-Prost years. The silver-and-red Hamilton rise. Häkkinen taking the fight to Schumacher. The papaya comeback. The Norris and Piastri chapter. The move from rebuilding project to front-running force.
All perfectly captured in one premium set. This is the story of McLaren in chase form.
A LANDMARK MOMENT FOR F1 COLLECTING
For years, F1 collectors have chased McLaren through wider Formula 1 products. Chrome. Sapphire. Dynasty. Eccellenza. Turbo Attax. Topps Now. But this feels different.
Topps x McLaren Racing is a full-team celebration. It brings together McLaren Formula 1, Arrow McLaren IndyCar and McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing, giving collectors a much wider look at the team than ever before.
It’s a set built around the full machine. The drivers, the cars, the engineers, the legends, the moments and the people behind the pit wall. This isn’t just another release, it’s a true fan moment and an exciting first look at what is set to be a landmark partnership.
WHY MCLAREN? WHY NOW?
Well, why not? McLaren is one of the hottest names in modern F1 again.
The papaya revival has been one of the biggest stories in the sport over the last few seasons. What started as a team trying to claw its way back into the fight has become a genuine front-running project, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri forming one of the most exciting driver pairings on the grid.
Lando, the face of the modern McLaren era. Fast, marketable, fan-loved and now firmly part of the team’s championship story.
Oscar is the quiet killer. Smooth, ruthless, measured and already carrying that future world champion energy every time he pulls on the helmet.
Add that current pairing to the deep history of one of motorsports founding teams, and you’ve got something that feels more like a museum piece than a checklist.
WHAT’S IN THE SET?
Topps McLaren Racing 2025 is built as a premium boxed release, with each box containing 25 cards across 5 packs. Collectors can expect one autograph card and two numbered parallel cards per box, that’s serious chase energy.
The base set includes 67 cards split across 10 themed subsets, covering everything from current McLaren F1 to vintage legends, engineering, behind-the-scenes moments, Indy heritage and McLaren Shadow.
The subsets include:
2025 Constructors’ World Champions
2025 Drivers’ World Champion
Behind the Scenes
Behind the Wheel
Born to Race
Engineering Excellence
Indy Heritage
McLaren Formula 1 Team
McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team
Vintage McLaren
That mix is exactly what gives the set its McLaren fan appeal. You aren’t just chasing driver portraits. You are chasing eras. Machines. Team identity. The pieces that make McLaren feel like McLaren.
THE HEADLINE CHASE:
MCLAREN F1 CAR RELIC AUTOS
For the first time in Topps history, collectors can pull McLaren Formula 1 Team car relic autograph cards featuring authentic components from Lando Norris’ 2020 and 2021 McLaren race cars.
This isn’t just another nice insert. This is the kind of card that can become a product-defining chase.
F1 collecting has always had a different relationship with relics compared to other sports. A shirt patch is one thing. A race-worn suit is cool. A glove, boot or balaclava relic gives you a real link to the driver.
But a piece of the car? That’s not just a relic. That’s history.
AUTOS WITH SERIOUS WEIGHT
With one autograph card per box, the auto checklist needed to deliver. And it does.
This isn’t just about current driver autographs. We’re also talking about some of the biggest names in McLaren and motorsport history.
The list of signers includes, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Zak Brown, Lewis Hamilton, Alain Prost, David Coulthard, Emerson Fittipaldi, Gerhard Berger, Juan Pablo Montoya and more.
What other team could boast a checklist like that? Topps is going all out to make this a landmark release.
DUAL DRIVER AUTOS
As if the main auto checklist wasn’t enough of a chase, Topps has also confirmed a series of dual autograph cards set to turn heads across the hobby.
Confirmed pairings include:
Emerson Fittipaldi / Alain Prost
Juan Pablo Montoya / Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen / Mika Häkkinen
Lando Norris / Oscar Piastri
Lewis Hamilton / Lando Norris
From history and heritage to modern racing royalty, there’s plenty to chase for McLaren fans old and new.
WHAT WE’RE CHASING
There is a lot going on in this set, but some cards just have that extra edge. Here’s what we’ll be chasing from lights out.
🏎️ Lando Norris Car Relic Autograph
The big one. The identity of the product. The first-ever McLaren F1 Team car relic auto in Topps history. This isn’t just another McLaren card. It’s a signal of where premium F1 collecting could be heading.
✍️ Norris / Piastri Dual Autograph
The modern McLaren pairing. Two elite talents. One team. One card. A celebration of papaya rules and one of the most exciting team-mate battles on the grid.
🇬🇧🏆 Norris / Hamilton Dual Autograph
The crossover nobody expected, but everyone wants.
Hamilton’s McLaren legacy meets Norris’ modern McLaren story. Past and present. First title and current era. British driving heritage in one huge pairing.
🏁 Race and track worn relics
No premium F1 release would be complete without a relic chase. From racing suits to balaclavas and nomex this is F1 history getting the Topps treatment.
THE SCD VERDICT
Topps McLaren Racing 2025 feels like a big moment for the F1 hobby. A release filled with headline chases and proper innovation, paired with a team built on history, performance and obsession. It’s a partnership that makes perfect sense.
The first Topps McLaren team set was always going to carry expectations. But with car relic autographs, dual autos, race-worn pieces, low-numbered parallels and a checklist that stretches from Senna to Norris, this feels like a release built for people who understand why McLaren means so much to Formula 1.
Papaya is not just back on track. It’s taking pole.
