Moët & Chandon returns to Formula 1’s podium at Monza this weekend

As Formula 1 arrives at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix on September 4-6, premium food and beverage brands are using the race weekend to deepen their presence in one of the world’s most visible sports platforms. Moët & Chandon will handle the podium celebration as Formula 1’s official Champagne, while S.Pellegrino and several hospitality groups are tying restaurant, hotel and trackside events to the race in Monza and nearby Milan.

The activity shows how major brands are moving beyond traditional product promotion and linking themselves to global sports events that bring together entertainment, luxury hospitality and international media attention. In this case, the focus is on Formula 1, where the image of a victory celebration has long been tied to sparkling wine.

Moët & Chandon, part of LVMH, returned in 2025 as the official Champagne of Formula 1 after a period in which Ferrari Trento, from Italy’s Trentodoc region, occupied the role. At Monza this weekend, the house will again be part of the most visible moment of the race, when the top three drivers and the winning constructor celebrate on the podium.

The relationship between Moët & Chandon and top-level motor racing reaches back decades. The company traces part of that history to 1936, when Italian driver Tazio Nuvolari drank from a Moët & Chandon jeroboam after winning the Vanderbilt Cup. Another landmark came in 1950 at the Reims Grand Prix, when Frédéric Chandon de Briailles offered a bottle to the race winner. The brand says that gesture helped establish what later became the celebratory jeroboam ritual in motorsport.

The most famous chapter came in 1967. After winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American driver Dan Gurney shook and sprayed a bottle of Moët & Chandon in celebration, creating a scene that later became standard in racing and then in other sports. Over the years, the brand remained associated with Formula 1 celebrations alongside champions including Jackie Stewart, Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Mika Häkkinen and Michael Schumacher.

At Monza, Moët & Chandon’s role will extend beyond the podium. According to the company, the post-race sequence begins in parc fermé, where the winning driver signs the celebratory jeroboam before moving through the cooldown room and then to the podium. The house is also operating a dedicated lounge at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza during the race weekend. One planned feature is a daily 5:43 p.m. ritual, a reference to the company’s 1743 founding year, centered on opening a jeroboam of Moët Impérial and filling a glass tower.

The brand is also using the Italian Grand Prix to support a broader hospitality program in Milan. Through September 6, the Park Hyatt Milan is hosting food, Champagne and cocktail experiences tied to the race weekend. Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial is being served by the glass and bottle at La Cupola and Mio Lab, while the hotel restaurant Pellico 3 is pairing Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2016 with a tasting menu from chef Guido Paternollo. The campaign also extends into other well-known Milan food and hospitality venues, including Peck, Maio, Le Specialità, Casa Fiori Chiari and Pasticceria San Carlo. The sequence is set to end on September 6 with the official Formula 1 afterparty at JustMe in Milan.

LVMH’s current agreement with Formula 1 runs through 2035, giving the luxury group a long runway to build race-linked visibility for its brands. Moët & Chandon, founded in 1743 and sold in more than 150 countries, is one of the best-known names in that strategy. The company is using Formula 1 not only to reinforce the image of Champagne as a symbol of celebration, but also to place the product inside premium travel, dining and entertainment settings during a high-profile sporting event.

S.Pellegrino is following a different but related path around the same race. The Italian mineral water brand, an official partner of Scuderia Ferrari HP, is staging dining events in Milan and Monza on September 5 with a selection of restaurants. The idea is to bring the atmosphere of the Grand Prix to the table through shared meals, conversation and chef-led experiences.

The company is also using a limited-edition bottle design tied to the occasion. The bottle features five overlapping labels, each printed with a different question meant to prompt conversation during dinner. The concept is aimed at turning the meal into an interactive social event rather than a simple product placement exercise.

S.Pellegrino’s race-weekend program also includes a presence inside the Ferrari GP Club at Monza across all three days of the event. There, the company is hosting a culinary schedule that pairs established chefs with young talent from the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy. On September 4, chef Antonia Klugmann of L’Argine a Vencò is appearing with Josefina Zojza, the Italian winner of the S.Pellegrino Social Responsibility Award 2024-2025. On September 5, Fabio Pisani of Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia in Milan is scheduled with Antonio Romano, executive chef of Nove at Villa della Pergola and the Italian winner of the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award in 2019. On September 6, Edoardo Tizzanini, winner of the Italian final of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-2025, is set to appear with his mentor Giancarlo Perbellini of Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli in Verona.

The concentration of these events in Monza and Milan reflects the unique value of the Italian Grand Prix for consumer brands. Monza is one of Formula 1’s oldest and most recognizable circuits, often described as the “Temple of Speed,” and it attracts a mix of racing fans, corporate guests, sponsors and international visitors. Milan, less than an hour away, gives brands access to luxury retail, hotels, restaurants and nightlife that can extend the Grand Prix beyond the racetrack.

For wine, spirits and premium food companies, that combination creates a setting where the product can be tied to celebration, status and hospitality all at once. At Monza, Moët & Chandon is directly linked to victory on the podium. In Milan and at the circuit, S.Pellegrino is linking itself to Ferrari, fine dining and social gathering. Hotels and restaurants are using the same weekend to offer branded experiences aimed at guests who want more than the race itself.

The result is a Grand Prix weekend in which Formula 1 serves not only as a sporting event, but also as a commercial stage for some of the best-known names in luxury beverages and hospitality, from the podium at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza to dining rooms and bars across central Milan.