The top three finishers of every Formula 1 grand prix partake in the podium ceremony, where trophies are handed out before sparkling wine is sprayed.
F1 has historically used champagne for that activity as part of a tradition which dates back to the mid-20th century.
To be officially called ‘champagne’, the product must have been produced in that specific wine-growing region of France.
It has since become an integral part of podiums in not just F1 but across motorsport worldwide, so how did the tradition start?
Why do F1 winners spray champagne?
Champagne was first awarded at an F1 race in 1950 when Juan Manuel Fangio won the French Grand Prix, that season’s penultimate round.
It took place at Reims-Gueux, a high-speed street circuit that was located in the north-eastern commune of Gueux and only five miles west of Reims - the unofficial capital of Champagne.
When the grand prix finished, at a circuit surrounded by vineyards, Fangio was awarded a bottle donated by Moet & Chandon - one of the most famous producers in the world.
As the French GP was held at the track 10 more times, the wine kept on being awarded to the race winners with drivers politely drinking it at first.
It wasn’t until 1966 that the tradition of spraying champagne in motorsport began, after Porsche’s Jo Siffert and Colin Davis won the Index of Performance class at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The first instance was by accident though, as the magnum had sat in direct sunlight causing pressure to increase inside. So, the cork suddenly popped when given to Siffert, who then soaked those nearby.
At first, the incident seemed like a one-off until Ford’s Dan Gurney turned it into a tradition when he won the following year’s Le Mans 24 Hours alongside A.J. Foyt.
The victory came as a surprise because many believed the all-American, high-profile duo could not nurse their GT40 for the whole race distance. However, Gurney and Foyt drove with incredible care to win by four laps ahead of Ferrari’s Mike Parkes and Ludovico Scarfiotti.
When Gurney was presented with a magnum of Moet & Chandon, he surprisingly decided to shake it and spray his bosses Henry Ford II and Carroll Shelby.
“What I did with the champagne was totally spontaneous,” said Gurney, who also finished his career as a four-time grand prix winner.
“I had no idea it would start a tradition - I was beyond caring and just got caught up in the moment. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime occasions where things turned out perfectly. I thought this hard-fought victory needed something special.”
What champagne is used for F1?
F1 technically no longer sprays champagne, because in 2021 it began a partnership with Ferrari Trento - a sparkling wine producer from northern Italy.
It marked the first time in history that an Italian sparkling wine has appeared on the F1 podium, as part of a partnership which was initially due to run for three years. But in 2022, the deal was extended until 2025.
Moet & Chandon was of course the first company to supply wine for F1, though that deal did not become official until 1966.
It subsequently became the longest partnership to date between the series and a sparkling wine company, as it ran for 33 years before G.H. Mumm took over in 2000.
That is another Reims-based company which supplied F1 until 2015, as it became an official partner of Formula E the following year.
Mumm’s successor marked the first time the championship had gone into business with a sparkling wine from outside of Champagne, as Argentina’s Chandon became F1’s supplier in 2016.
That lasted until the fifth round of 2017, the year Liberty Media became the owners of F1.
Shortly after the takeover, the American mass media company reintroduced champagne to the series by striking a deal with the nascent Champagne Carbon.
Drivers sprayed it until 2019, as Moet & Chandon had a brief return in 2020 before F1 struck its current partnership with Ferrari Trento.
But it isn’t used at every grand prix because Islamic countries, where alcohol is prohibited, have increased their presence on the F1 calendar - particularly in the Middle East.
So for grands prix in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, a sparkling fruit juice called rose water is used - though still decked in Ferrari branding.
Memorable F1 champagne moments
Given F1 drivers have sprayed sparkling wine countless times over the years, various memorable moments have naturally occurred. Here are five:
1986 Brazilian Grand Prix - When the bottles would not open
Usually the champagne cork is loosened before being awarded, as this makes it easier for drivers to celebrate right away. But that did not happen at the 1986 Brazilian GP when Jacques Laffite, Ayrton Senna and race winner Nelson Piquet all struggled to pop the magnum. Their angst lasted for 20 seconds before the top three finishers were finally able to open them and start celebrating.
2013 Brazilian Grand Prix - Mark Webber slips over champagne at his final F1 race
Mark Webber had an emotional final race in F1, as the nine-time grand prix winner finished second to Sebastian Vettel in a Red Bull 1-2 at the 2013 Brazilian GP. Webber, who is now Oscar Piastri’s manager, then sprayed Fernando Alonso’s face with champagne before slipping over and spilling the wine before getting back up and carrying on with the celebrations.
He switched to the World Endurance Championship with Porsche the following season and won the title in 2015, putting his champagne-spraying exploits to good use.
2015 Russian Grand Prix - Lewis Hamilton sprays Russian president Vladimir Putin
Lewis Hamilton clinched a second victory at the Russian GP in 2015, meaning he needed just one more win for his third world championship after team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg retired due to a throttle failure.
With the championship in sight, the Mercedes driver was no doubt jubilant and after spraying parc ferme, Hamilton turned back to the podium but caught Russian president Vladimir Putin in doing so.
Both laughed about the moment a year later though, when Hamilton finished second at Sochi. Putin said through a translator “I’m accustomed to awarding you something each year” to which Hamilton responded “just this time I won’t spray you with champagne”.
2016 German Grand Prix - The debut of the shoey
The most popular part of the tradition in recent years has perhaps been the Daniel Ricciardo shoey. The unique Australian celebration introduced to motorsport by V8 Utes racer Ryal Harris, was first brought to F1 by Ricciardo at the 2016 German GP, where the then-Red Bull driver finished second.
After all the spraying in Hockenheim, Ricciardo poured champagne into his race-worn shoe and drank from it. He cited Aussie group the Mad Hueys as his inspiration.
Ricciardo would continue doing it whenever he scored a podium. The eight-time grand prix winner has also dragged the likes of Hamilton, Rosberg, Max Verstappen, Martin Brundle and even Sir Patrick Stewart into doing a shoey.
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix - Lando Norris breaks trophy with magnum
Lando Norris has his own celebration, as he will always bang the magnum against a podium step causing the wine to aggressively burst out. The McLaren driver did just that after finishing second at the 2023 Hungarian GP, but in doing so caused Verstappen’s trophy to fall off the top step.
That caused the $45,000 trophy to break, prompting an apology from Norris, who said: “I obviously had no intention of ever doing such a thing. And I know how much it means to the Hungarians and [is] part of their culture and so forth.
“Of course, I want to enjoy the time [celebrating on the podium], but it was never my intention to do such a thing.”
He and Verstappen returned to Hungary the following month to collect the repaired trophy and the Dutchman joked that “Lando is not allowed to touch it”.
Norris even returned to the factory it was made a year later and wore a special helmet at the 2024 Hungarian GP designed in collaboration with Herend Porcelain, the man behind the trophies for the race.
