Glenfiddich becomes latest whisky brand to invest in Formula 1

William Grant & Sons’ has announced a new long-term partnership between its Glenfiddich Scotch whisky brand and the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.

To commemorate the deal, Glenfiddich has also unveiled a new ultra-exclusive whisky release sourced from a single 1959 cask, the same year Aston Martin made its debut in Formula 1.

According to Malt Master Brian Kinsman, “the synergy between Glenfiddich and Aston Martin Formula 1 Team allows us to innovate in exciting ways. This rare 1959 bottling captures our shared commitment to excellence and passion, with each detail refined to reflect Glenfiddich’s signature intensity balanced with Aston Martin’s bold spirit.”

The news, which was announced this morning at the Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix, follows shortly behind the appointment of Pernod Ricard's Chivas Regal as the Official Team Partner of Scuderia Ferrari HP.

“This partnership marks a significant gear shift as we accelerate into a new era in sports culture for Chivas Regal,” said Etienne Gourgues, Chairman & CEO of Chivas Brothers.

“We are passionate about using this new platform to engage today’s growing and increasingly diverse community of racing fans in the 2025 season and beyond, and leveraging the collective reach of our brands to ensure motorsports fans around the world know to never, ever, drink and drive.”

The two new team sponsorships come at a time of growing opportunity for marketing with the Formula 1, which has increased its social media following by 25% since January. Similarly, the F1 streaming service experienced a 40% increase in subscribers.

According to spokespeople for each of the racing teams, whisky production and Formula 1 racing both share a lot of synergies in regards to their ethos and culture.

“At Aston Martin Formula 1 Team, we continuously push boundaries to set new standards, and Glenfiddich embodies that same spirit of perfection and innovation,” said Lawrence Stroll, Owner and Executive Chairman of Aston Martin Formula 1 Team.

Frederic Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari HP Team Principal, added: “We are pleased to announce our partnership with Chivas Regal, with whom we share the values of striving for excellence, attention to detail and craftsmanship - founded on years of tradition, while constantly evolving.”

Additionally, the two industries also share an extensive history of advertising partnerships, with Diageo’s Johnnie Walker, the former official whisky sponsor of the Formula 1 since 2015, helping to pioneer the space. Up until 2017, Johnnie Walker was also a sponsor the McLaren Racing team, which has since been taken over by Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s.

One of the factors contributing to the strong link between whisk(e)y and Formula 1 racing is the mutual luxury positioning of each industry. This is further reinforced by last month’s signing of LVMH as a Global Partner for the next 10 years.

“In motorsport as in fashion, watchmaking or wines and spirits, every detail counts on the path to success,” said Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO.

“It is this incessant search to break boundaries that inspires our vision, and this is the meaning that we want to bring to this great and unique partnership between Formula 1 and our Group.”

Heineken has also been confirmed as the Global Beer Partner again for 2025, which last season involved the Heineken Player 0.0 F1 sim racing tournament. This activation presented Australians and F1 fans globally with the chance to compete against Verstappen in the global final.

This weekend, Heineken is the titular sponsor of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the third last round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.