Inside Chivas Regal's Partnership with Ferrari & Charles Leclerc
The Scotch whisky brand is creating custom cocktails to connect with Formula 1’s fanbase.
Fast cars, luxury watches, private jets, and fine liquors are no strangers to the glamorous world of global motorsport. It is a fact, however, that many of the lavish quirks of this particular sport are out of reach for the majority of its audience. There are a few exceptions though, with Chivas Regal, the Scotch whisky produced by the Chivas Brothers, proudly stepping into that unifying role with its official partnerships with Ferrari and Charles Leclerc.
“Sport has always sat close to culture,” says Oyin Akiniyi, Chivas Regal’s Global Brand Director. The whisky brand first entered the sports sphere in 2024 with Arsenal Football Club, signing a multi-year partnership, becoming the club’s first Official Whisky Partner. “Sport no longer lives just in the ninety minutes or the race weekend,” says Akiniyi, “it’s the documentary, the conversation after the game, the creator content that carries, and that’s the real reason we’re here.”
Following success with Arsenal, the cultural tap-in proving fruitful, Chivas Regal turned to one of the fastest growing sports in the world, choosing Ferrari as its partner team in Formula 1. Not long after, they appointed its Monegasque prince, Charles Leclerc, as Global Brand Ambassador.
As Akiniyi explains, their relationship with F1 is anchored in connection. “In F1, performance and precision aren’t unique, every brand in F1 talks about that. What Chivas Regal is interested in is the human story underneath, and in F1 that story is rarely about one person, it is collective success: the craft, the dedication, and the people behind the performance.”
Like many brands that have entered into motorsport for the first time in recent years, there is an understanding that this sport, with its ever expanding global fanbase, can aid in reaching an audience that may have otherwise been missed. “Our strategy has always been to be additive, to give fans something they can’t get anywhere else,” Akiniyi shares. That is why any good partnership, such as this, places importance on engaging with new, potential customers. For Chivas Regal, this has meant working directly with Leclerc, leveraging his character.
