How Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc slows down: piano, good reading and his whiskey debut

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Aside from being one of the best drivers on the Formula 1 grid, Charles Leclerc is a man of many talents – playing the piano, chess and, most recently, making whisky.

What began as an official partnership between Scottish whiskey brand Chivas Regal and Leclerc in March 2025, with the Ferrari driver appointed as global brand ambassador, has now turned into their first joint expression: a blend of 16 whiskies, each aged for at least 16 years, to symbolize the number that has defined Leclerc’s life and career.

Before the Grand Prix in Miami on Sunday, Hollywood Reporter I caught up with Leclerc to talk life off the beaten track: his favorite book (he’s an avid reader), his musical endeavors (yes, he’s also a self-taught composer) and his newly released 16-year-old blend co-created with Chivas Regal Master Blender Sandy Hyslop.

There are a million brands that want to partner with you – why Chivas Regal?

More than anything else, the brand values ​​have to align with what I stand for. Chivas will always push boundaries, while never forgetting where they come from, and that is something that really resonates in the sport. I’ve always told myself that I should never forget where I come from, but at the same time, you always want to try to get out of your comfort zone and learn from new experiences.

You’ve been a Chivas brand ambassador since early 2025, but how did the idea to create your own blend come about?

I had the opportunity, at the beginning of the collaboration, to go to Scotland where I could learn the whole process from start to finish. The amount of passion and attention to detail was truly amazing, and this journey really started the idea of ​​creating my own product that was more personal and could represent my taste along with the heritage of Chivas.

What was the creation process like?

I arrived in Scotland with a very open mind, so I really chose what felt most natural and what I liked as the basis for the whisky. And then we came in and added all the different whiskeys together… 16 is a very meaningful number to me, so there are 16 different whiskies, 16 years old, which is a first for Chivas.

You also have your own ice cream brand, Lec. What flavor can you pair with your whisky?

Maybe salted caramel. I think this would be a perfect fit.

Is Lec coming to the US?

We really want to develop ourselves [current] The markets are quite pre-expansion, so I don’t know when, but the plan is to come to the US, yes.

Since this THRI have to ask: Are there any TV shows you’re watching right now?

Oh, I actually like reading more than watching TV. I fall asleep easily while watching TV, so I never finish what I start, which is a very big problem with me and my wife Alexandra. We always fall asleep after 10 or 15 minutes in front of the TV.

So what is your favorite book?

I love Alchemist By Paulo Coelho.

Have you been able to relax at all over the last few weeks or have you been focused on this race?

We have been training extensively and [doing] There’s a lot to prepare for the second part of the season – I mean, not the second part because we only did three races, but to prepare for that part of the season. So, even though it looked like a holiday from the outside because there were no races, there was actually a lot of stuff going on.

Have you been working on any music lately?

Oh, that’s the thing I’ve put on standby at the moment. I mean, Formula 1 takes up a huge amount of my time. So when I’m at home, I always like to play the piano because it helps me disconnect from everything else, but I haven’t had time yet to record these songs I’ve been thinking about. So I need some time to release some new music. It’s been a long time.