For quite some time in Formula 1, Valtteri Bottas has been racing along with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes. But after the former switched gears to Alfa Romeo, one name has been chosen to take his place alongside Hamilton’s place – George Russell.

Just recently, Mercedes announced that both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will form a British lineup for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team in 2022. For his part, the 23-year old expressed excitement at the chance to race for the said team. Russell added that he will play his part to continue the success set before him.

Meanwhile, the racing card market reacted favorably over this piece of F1 news. A day before this announcement was made, Russell’s raw 2020 Topps Chrome Refractor rookie card was valued at $350 on eBay. Since news of his signing by Mercedes broke out, the price has jumped to $600, a development that clearly indicates an upward trend is forming.

While Russell's raw rookie cards are on the rise, his graded stock seems to be low in supply. There has only been one PSA 10 slab of Mercedes' newest racer sold on eBay for $5,000 since news of his move as Hamilton's teammate has been released. Before this development, there were two confirmed PSA 10 sales of Russell's Topps Chrome Sapphire parallel rookie cards on eBay. One went for $2,275 while the other fetched $2,25.

Meanwhile, prices of Hamilton's PSA 10 stock on the market remain steadfast. As compared to how basketball cards move on eBay, F1 cards have a smaller and more niche following. Nevertheless, the most-recent sold price of Hamilton's PSA 10 2020 Topps Chrome card went for a hefty price tag of $4,750.

With the Formula 1 tandem of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell about to set off soon, there will come a renewed interest in their respective stocks in the card market. Rather than get their cards in the future, hunting for them now will give the best value for money.