Why Do Formula 1 Drivers Spray Champagne When They Win?

by Michael Satterfield - 12/13/2023

Following an intense weekend of racing at Circuit of the Americas that took a toll on all drivers, particularly Lewis Hamelton, Max Verstappen joyously showered the audience with bubbly, marking his victory as we have seen so many racers do from the humblest club racing champions to the top drivers in the world of motorsports. But why do drivers shower the crows and each other with sparking wine? The tradition of uncorking bottles in exuberance has become a widespread practice in various sports after a major victory. 

We started our F1 weekend in Austin with the Ferrari Trento team, the official sparkling wine of Formula 1, and the creators of the podium bottles that every driver proudly brandishes with their victory, and who better to tell us the story of how popping bottles became a thing than President and CEO of Ferrari Trento, Matteo Lunelli. 

Matteo Lunelli of Ferrari Trento showing us how to pop a double magnum at COTA

The story goes, that the association between the Grand Prix and sparkling wine itself traces its roots back to 1950, when the inaugural French Grand Prix unfolded at the Gueux circuit in Reims. Naturally, since the race was held in the vineyard-laden hills of the Champagne region, the winner, Juan Manuel Fangio, was bestowed with a bottle in honor of his triumph behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. 

However, the tradition of showering the crowd with the effervescent liquid emerged more than a decade later, as is often the case with great customs, entirely by accident. Following his victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, Jo Siffert inadvertently sprayed the spectators when the champagne bottle, left exposed to the sun, built up pressure inside the magnum. The following year, Californian racer Dan Gurney deliberately replicated Siffert's gesture upon winning the same race, giving birth to a new tradition.

While the original bottle with a loosely-corked top was a magnum of Moet & Chandon, today's F1 champions not only enjoy an increase in size to a Jeroboam, or double magnum, which contains twice the amount of sparkling wine for even more celebration, they also don't use champagne anymore. Instead, since 2021, Ferrari Trento has been the supplier for all Formula One race podiums with its Italian sparkling wine.

The company has introduced limited edition Formula 1 sparkling wine, commemorating significant Grand Prix such as Silverstone and Monza. Additionally, a limited edition F1 Podium Jeroboam, an exact replica of the three-liter bottle awarded to the winning driver, is available. For enthusiasts eager to possess the authentic bottle, complete with the signatures of the top three racers, these coveted items are auctioned off for charity during each race weekend on F1 Authentics.