Nov 20, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (4) during media availabilities at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris had a breakout last season, finishing second in the World Cup Standings. On Sunday, he continued his 2024 breakthrough with a victory in the 2025 season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Norris has long been a fan favorite, but now he’s pairing his popularity with success.
Norris’ first-place finish in Australia has seen a rise in his card prices. According to his Card Ladder index, Norris’ cards are up 6.69% in the past month, with much of that growth in the past week when Norris also took the pole position for the Australian GP.
Related: Cards for Carabao Cup Champion Newcastle United
Based on his performance last year and the beginning of this season, Norris is considered the biggest threat to dethrone four-time defending World Champion Max Verstappen. For card collectors, his increased success has seen a healthy rise in his card prices that could continue with more wins and a possible world championship. McLaren hasn’t won a driver’s title since 2008, when Lewis Hamilton was with the team.
Norris’ true rookie card is from 2020 Topps Chrome F1, card #7. It is a portrait picture of him with his arms crossed. In F1, the variations of rookie cards have more value than the base cards, mostly because of the difference in supply but also because the variations are more desirable. For instance, a PSA 9 refractor, population 114, recently sold for $149.50. His base card in PSA 10, population 582, last sold for $51.
Image Courtesy of Card Ladder
Another portrait card in the set, card #199, has a much lower population but is not considered the “true” rookie card because it appears after card #7. Card #199 in a PSA 10 grade, a population of 166, last sold for $51.
RELATED: Topps Signs USC star JuJu Watkins
Card #199 has a much lower PSA 10 population but sells for about the same amount as a PSA 10 of card #7. / Image Courtesy of Card Ladder
The most sought-after Norris rookie card is a base image variation of Card #7. It’s somewhat confusing, but there are two No. 7s: his base card and his base variation. A PSA 10 sold for $850 in late January. Within the past week, there have been two sales, one for $900 and another for $950.
There are 48 PSA 10 base image variations with the latest sale for $950. A PSA 9 sold on March 17 for $375, a 75% increase over the past three months. / Image Courtesy of Card Ladder
Lando Norris is on the rise, and he has an opportunity to make history by winning McLaren’s first driver’s championship in 16 years. His victory at the Australian GP is further proof that his breakout in 2024 was no fluke.
Published 1 Hour Ago|Modified 3:01 PM EDT
