Charles Leclerc's Unique Approach to Whisky: A Deep Dive into His New Chivas Regal Scotch

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc didn’t approach a whisky partnership like a typical celebrity—he approached it like an engineer. During a tour of historic Scottish single malt distillery Strathisla with Chivas Regal master blender Sandy Hyslop, Leclerc suddenly pulled out his phone and started typing. 

“I thought I was boring him,” Hyslop said. “Then I realized he was taking notes—on fermentation times and on process. He was asking me questions that people in my own team wouldn’t even ask me.”

It was an unexpected level of interest and intensity from someone who, as both men admit, had essentially never drunk whisky before their first meeting in Monaco. But this kind of precision isn’t new for Leclerc—it’s the foundation of his entire career and the secret to his success. 

Born in Monaco and practically peerless on his rise through racing circuits GP3 and Formula 2, Leclerc entered Formula 1 with a reputation for raw speed and composure under pressure—qualities that quickly made him Ferrari’s new standard‑bearer. 

With five Grand Prix wins, dozens of podiums, and more than two dozen pole positions, his career is a testament to both his meticulous preparation as well as his innate feel for the track, traits that translated perfectly in his approach to whisky.

When Leclerc and Hyslop initially sat down, the driver was “relatively new to the world of whisky,” as Leclerc recently put it. Hyslop was even more direct: “His knowledge level was zero.” 

But Leclerc arrived with intent. “I spent five minutes with you, Sandy, and I had so many questions,” he said. “I probably annoyed you with all of them.”

What could have been a standard sports‑marketing partnership became a surprisingly technical, hands‑on collaboration between two people who share a fixation on detail. But the collaboration came with a major stipulation: the number 16 was non‑negotiable. It’s Leclerc’s birthday, his longtime racing number, and a personal marker he’s carried since childhood. “Sixteen has always been more than a number to me,” he said. “It had to feel natural and personal.”

For Chivas, 16 wasn’t an arbitrary age target but a gap in its existing lineup—slotted between the house’s iconic 12‑ and 18‑year‑old expressions. Hyslop immediately understood the appeal. “Sixteen is a real sweet spot in maturation,” he said. “The balance between distillery character and cask influence is really well balanced at that age.” And with Scotch regulations requiring that every drop in the bottle be at least 16 years old, the age statement set the technical parameters for the entire project.

Only after the age was locked did the broader creative opportunity come into focus. “To make something new under your tenure is always super exciting,” Hyslop said

During their first tasting session, Leclerc quickly discovered what he liked—and what he didn’t. “He wasn’t big on smoke at all,” Hyslop said. But when he tried some Longmorn single malt whisky aged in a sherry cask everything clicked. “He said, ‘Oh, that is outstanding. I love the richness, the fruitiness.’” That became the backbone of Leclerc’s signature Chivas Regal blend.

Hyslop decided to echo the number in the structure of the blend as well as the age. “I wanted to take it a stage further—so I made it 16 components,” he said. The idea was to build something complex and deeply layered without losing the house style. “I don’t want someone buying the 16‑year‑old Leclerc and thinking it doesn’t taste like Chivas,” he said. “I wanted it to have Chivas DNA, but with a rich twist.”

The collaboration deepened when Leclerc traveled to Scotland with his now wife and childhood friends for a full weekend of distillery tours and warehouse sessions. That’s when Hyslop saw the driver’s technical instincts fully kick in. “He really threw himself into it,” Hyslop said. “He wanted to understand every nuance of flavor.” The process wasn’t linear. “We met, we regrouped, we fine‑tuned,” he said. “Out of my 42 years with the company, it’s the most collaborative job I’ve ever done.”

The final whisky will appeal to fans of sherry finishes, with notes of honeyed raisin, orange and apple with ginger and baking spices.  

For Leclerc, the whiskey reflects the same mindset he brings to racing. “The product tastes incredible,” he said. “But the moments shared to get to that finished product—that’s what was very special for me.”

Chivas Regal 16 Price & Availability

The Chivas Regal 16 Blended Scotch is available nationwide and has a suggested retail price of $70. It is 80 proof (40% ABV.)