The 2025 Formula One World Championship is well and truly underway. Starting in Melbourne, the opening saw an intense battle, with rain hitting the track before and during the race, resulting in not one but six crashes (it was described as a “baptism of fire” for the Formula One rookies). One driver who has continued to keep his cool during the Australian Grand Prix and the unfortunate results at the Chinese Grand Prix is Monégasque racing driver Charles Leclerc, who competes for Ferrari. 

27-year-old Leclerc has become a fan favourite following the success of Netflix’s documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, but more importantly because of the losses he has suffered in his life and how he uses that loss to motivate him as a racing driver. From the deaths of his friends and his god-father, fellow racing drivers Jules Bianchi in 2015 and Anthoine Hubert in 2019, to the death of his father, Hervé Leclerc, in 2017, four days before the Baku Formula 2 round, where he won the sprint and feature races, Leclerc is no stranger to hardship. Still, he is determined to come out of these situations stronger, better and more resolute. He shares this value with luxury scotch whisky brand Chivas Regal, who announced a collaboration with Leclerc early this month ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. 

The collaboration between the pair asks fans to redefine the way they view success – encouraging them to celebrate all achievements, big and small, professional and personal. Beyond recognising Leclerc’s significant achievements in motor racing (having won eight Grands Prix across eight seasons), Chivas Regal has focused on Leclerc’s passion for music, having taught himself piano during the Covid-19 pandemic, and releasing an EP in 2024 with pianist Sofiane Pamart. 

Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, we spoke to Leclerc about his new collaboration with Chivas Regal, the connection between making music and motor racing and what’s next for the racing driver. 

Racing has been your life since childhood, but you’ve also developed a deep passion for music. What inspired you to explore this creative side, and how does it complement your career in Formula One?

Charles Leclerc:  Music has always played a huge role in my life. It’s always helped me get into a particular state, to be relaxed or more focused before a race. I discovered the piano during Covid and started playing it. I loved the feeling of not just listening to music but of creating it, and letting your creativity have the upper hand. 

I think music and my Formula One career are closely related. I do music because of Formula One. It’s a way for me to completely disconnect from a hectic and very fast life. That is the lifestyle of Formula One. Music is a way for me to slow down, take a step back, and disconnect from that very fast-paced life, and that’s important to me. 

Who or what has influenced your sound and approach to making music?

Charles Leclerc: I love melancholic songs in general. I love Sofiane Pamart, who I made an EP with. I enjoyed the process of working with Sofiane so much. I love Riopy. Ludovico Einaudi and Hans Zimmer, you know, all the legends.

Beyond racing and music, what other interests or hobbies do you enjoy when you have time away from the track?

Charles Leclerc: Spending time with my close ones. That’s extremely important for me. I’m travelling so much that it’s vital for me to be surrounded by people I love, that I trust, that were there before the success came, before I got to Formula One. In Formula One, it’s easy to make friends and a lot of people want to surround you. But I think it’s essential for me to remember where I came from and to have people around me that are honest and can tell me when I’m in my own way.

Formula One requires immense focus, discipline, and precision. Do you find yourself applying those same qualities to your music and other creative pursuits? Or is it just an escape? 

Charles Leclerc: It is definitely an escape. Some characteristics of Formula One are related to music. Coordination is one thing; Formula One is all about coordinating hands with what you do with pedals and many other things. Music is all about coordinating hands and also the pedal. So yeah, some things link to it in some ways, but that’s not how I approach it. It’s about disconnecting.

Chivas Regal celebrates the idea that every win, big or small, matters. How does this philosophy resonate with your own experiences in racing and life?

Charles Leclerc: Racing makes me live some very crazy things, which can make you take for granted the small moments you enjoy just at home. But these are exactly the ones that should also be celebrated. I think that’s why we’ve decided to come together and have a partnership because we share the same values and the same methods of celebrating big or small moments. We also believe in taking the time and putting the work into our passions. I went to the Chivas Regal distillery in Scotland to trial making the Chivas Regal x Charles Leclerc whisky cocktails, which was incredible. I mean, to see the amount of passion that there is within those walls to make the perfect blend. It was super interesting.

What’s next with Chivas Regal, and what are you most looking forward to as your partnership develops?

Charles Leclerc: More events to bring people together and to connect my world off track with the Chivas Regal brand. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next project we’ll be working on is.