From Lewis Hamilton’s 100th win to Lando Norris’ bottle-smashing antics, the Italian winemaker reflects on its brief time with F1 and some of its best podium moments.
For four years, Ferrari has graced the top step of every Formula 1 podium — just not the red Prancing Horse Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz. Rather it’s the bottle of Ferrari Trento sparkling wine sprayed by victors in celebration. The simple black bottle has become synonymous with the sport’s iconic ceremony, particularly for the millions of fans who discovered F1 during the Netflix-fueled “Drive to Survive” era. However, a billion-dollar deal inked by F1 and LVMH saw the checkered flag wave on Ferrari Trento’s reign. Starting in 2025, the French luxury conglomerate’s marquee champagne, Moët & Chandon, will make its return to be ceremoniously sprayed on the podium.
Those four years were a dream, according to Matteo Lunelli, the president and CEO of Ferrari Trento. “The Formula 1 podium is the most iconic celebration in the world of sports, and it’s where the tradition of opening a bottle of bubbles on the podium started,” he shared. Lunelli’s childhood memories included watching Italy triumph in the 1982 FIFA World Cup with bottles of Ferrari Trento in hand. So when conversations began in 2019 to possibly bring the winemaker to Formula 1, he was more than eager to jump at the chance.
“Then the Covid pandemic came and it looked like the world was going to change. But we were committed to continuing our project,” he said. “At that time it was not an obvious decision at all because nobody knew if big events were coming back and if the world would be different, but we knew that this was a great opportunity for Ferrari Trento, so we started in 2021.”
The gamble paid off. Not only did the pandemic restrictions start to lift, but the brand entered F1 when the sport was on the precipice of a massive boom, particularly in the US. “It was a little bit of a bet at the time that turned out to be a great decision for us,” Lunelli said.
In the short time the two were partnered together, they made some remarkable memories. Lunelli recounts Lewis Hamilton celebrating his 100th grand prix win: “We knew that it could happen in Russia so we prepared a very special bottle, but obviously you don’t know until the last turn,” he explained. “So we had this bottle ready for the podium in Sochi and when he saw it, he realized that it was for him and we have a beautiful picture of him from that moment.”
Then there’s Lando Norris, whose bottle-smashing antics have made him a fan-favorite on the podium. “I told Lando that the bottles are really not made for smashing on the floor, but he is a great champion, and he loves to do it, even if it makes me a little bit scared,” Lunelli said. “The glass bottle is not made to be thrown on the floor, but he is the best at celebrating on the podium for sure. He has the best style.”
Even Daniel Ricciardo’s infamous shoey got the green light from Lunelli. “Obviously a shoe is not really the most appropriate way to drink our Ferrari, but it’s about joy,” he said. “Everything is acceptable from Daniel because he’s such a fantastic person. I always say we love to see somebody enjoying Ferrari in a nice glass, perhaps with the food in the Paddock Club, but that moment of victory is a moment of celebration and joy, so it’s perfectly acceptable.”
Naturally, Lunelli has a special place reserved for Ferrari double podiums, which he’s dubbed “Ferrari squared.” Yet one moment stands out above the rest: Leclerc’s long-awaited victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2024. “The Prince of Monaco said that if Charles won, he would spray himself on the podium,” Lunelli recalled. “It was very out of protocol. The Monaco podium is elegant and formal but it was such a joy for him [Prince Albert]. He sprayed Charles and then drank from the bottle — it was iconic, and will definitely be one of our most memorable moments in F1.”
