FORMULA 122 JUL 2026Formula 1’s luxury makeover is about more than champagneFormula 1 is increasingly selling luxury, a shift prominently displayed at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix. Moët &…Lesego Chepape2 min read

Moët & Chandon’s latest activation at the Belgian Grand Prix reflects how Formula 1 is evolving into a luxury lifestyle brand, a shift with implications for South Africa’s hopes of hosting the sport again Formula 1 has long sold speed. Increasingly, it is selling luxury. That shift was on full display at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, where Moët & Chandon expanded its presence beyond the podium celebrations that have defined the brand’s relationship with the sport for more than 70 years.

The race marked the champagne house’s second year as title sponsor of the Belgian Grand Prix under LVMH’s decade-long partnership with Formula 1. While the champagne spray remains one of the sport’s most recognisable rituals, Moët & Chandon used the weekend to position itself as a curator of experiences rather than simply a sponsor. Central to that strategy wasThe Out Lap, a new hospitality concept that combined storytelling, fine dining and champagne.

Limited to just 12 guests, the experience took participants around Spa-Francorchamps, where a former Formula 1 driver shared stories from some of the circuit’s most famous corners before a menu created by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno and paired with Moët & Chandon vintages. , a new hospitality concept that combined storytelling, fine dining and champagne. The Maison also unveiled a contemporary interpretation of its historic Silver Jeroboam Trophy, nodding to a relationship with Formula 1 that dates back to 1950, when Count Frédéric Chandon de Briailles handed a bottle of champagne to the winner of the Reims Grand Prix.

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The spontaneous gesture became one of motorsport’s defining traditions. “At Spa-Francorchamps, victory has a special intensity for the drivers, the teams and the fans who share it,” said Moët & Chandon president and CEO Sibylle Scherer. “Our role is to craft celebrations and experiences worthy of that emotion.” For South Africans, the announcement lands as conversations around bringing Formula 1 back to Kyalami continue.

While no return has been confirmed, Formula 1’s growing emphasis on premium hospitality and destination experiences suggests that hosting a Grand Prix is now about far more than staging a race. It is about creating an ecosystem of luxury, tourism and entertainment.

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