Marking a break with tradition, Formula 1’s famous podium celebrations will be toasted with Italian sparkling wine from producer Ferrari Trento for the next three seasons.
The Formula 1 podium has, until now, been synonymous with Champagne, although Ferrari Trento did make a brief appearance in 1980, starring on the podium of the Monza Grand Prix that year.
Ferrari Trento’s president & CEO, Matteo Lunelli proclaimed via a bilingual streamed press launch that the newly announced partnership ‘is going to be an amazing adventure.’ He went on to note that one of the company’s expectations from the increased global exposure is to double sales in the long term. ‘The next generation of the family will look back and see this as a milestone,’ he said.
Ferrari Trento’s general manager, Simone Masè explained that ‘we are partners on a huge stage – a maximum expression of sport. We decided to form this partnership because of the values we share: excellence, obsession, passion and innovation.’
F1’s president and CEO, Stefano Domenicali commented on the partnership by saying, ‘Celebrating success is in both our DNA and having Ferrari Trento at the heart of the sport’s most iconic celebratory moment makes them such a natural partner for us. For more than a century, Ferrari Trento has been synonymous with Italian excellency, pouring their passion into creating fine sparkling wines capable of elevating any moment, and we look forward to working together to create and enhance our fan experience on and off the podium.’
Hints were dropped that wine will be a blanc de blancs in jeroboam (3-litre bottle) with a unique label, although no further details were available at the time of writing. The question remains whether the sparkling wine will be the only Ferrari to grace the podium in the upcoming 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, which kicks off on 28 March with the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021.
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Sporting past
This new addition to the Formula 1 podium isn’t Ferrari Trento’ first brush with sport – other than the Monza Grand Prix of 1980, the estate’s wines have also partnered with events including the Casa Italia Collection FISI Cortina 2021 stage of the Alpine World Ski Championships and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in 2019, when Rafael Nadal lifted the trophy. Ferrari Trento also has partnerships with Juventus FC, and the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team in the America’s Cup.
Founded in 1902 by Giulio Ferrari, Ferrari Trento has been in the hands of the Lunelli family since 1952. It specialises in traditional-method sparkling wines from the Trento DOC in the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
