How did one unexpected pop change the way victory is celebrated? In 2026, Moët & Chandon and Formula 1 celebrate 60 years of the champagne spray, one of motorsport’s most iconic and joyful rituals.
It all began at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race that changed victory celebrations forever. As three Ford cars led the race in its closing hour, Henry Ford II broke with tradition. Rather than the customary bottle, he requested a Moët & Chandon Jeroboam, declaring that when America wins, it celebrates with three liters of champagne. Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon were the first to lift the oversized bottle on the podium.
Then came the moment no one had planned. During the awards ceremony, the Jeroboam presented to Jo Siffert and Colin Davis, the winners of the 2-liter category, had been shaken too vigorously. Its cork burst open, unleashing a shower of champagne over the podium.
A spontaneous accident became an unforgettable gesture.
One year later, at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dan Gurney turned that accident into a ritual. After his victory alongside A.J. Foyt, he deliberately shook his Jeroboam before popping the cork and spraying the crowd, giving the gesture its legendary form and creating one of motorsport’s most enduring traditions: the champagne spray.
…FROM A RITUAL GREW AN ICON
The gesture reached the world of Formula 1® with Sir Jackie Stewart at the 1969 French Grand Prix, where it found its natural stage: the podium. Since then, the champagne spray has become part of Formula 1®’s emotional language, a moment every fan knows by heart. After the final lap, after the precision, pressure and performance, comes the release: a champagne-drenched celebration shared by drivers, teams and fans. For one unforgettable instant, the podium belongs to everyone, and the memory lives on long after the race.
Across generations, Formula 1® icons and legends have each made the gesture their own. From Niki Lauda and James Hunt to Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and many more every champion has brought their personality to the spray. Today, the champagne spray remains one of the most recognizable images in Formula 1®, capturing excellence, emotion and unforgettable moments. Sixty years later, the champagne spray still says it all: victory is better when shared.
