Formula 1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli won’t get to drink champagne if he finishes on the podium at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
20-year-old Antonelli will have his first opportunity to clinch the 2026 F1 drivers’ world title at the US Grand Prix as he arrives in Austin with a 102-point lead over Mercedes team-mate and closest challenger George Russell, while he is 111 points clear of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
To win the title in Texas, Antonelli will need to increase his championship lead by at least 23 points. This will be achieved if he is victorious on Sunday and Russell fails to finish in the top eight and Hamilton is not in the top four.
In doing so Antonelli will create F1 history by becoming the sport’s youngest-ever world champion.
Antonelli regularly pours champagne down himself
But Antonelli won’t be able to celebrate in style if he does go on to win the title, or finish on the podium at the Circuit of the Americas, due to US drinking laws.
Antonelli is below the legal drinking age of 21 in the United States.
As such, F1 would have to provide him with an alcohol-free alternative.
What would Antonelli drink on the United States GP podium?
Rather than the usual Moet & Chandon champagne used during podium celebrations, Antonelli would be provided with a substitute non-alcoholic drink.
Antonelli had an unbranded non-alcoholic drink on the podium in Miami
While the drink has not been officially confirmed, it would most likely be sparkling rose water.
This is given to drivers on the podium instead of champagne at races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi because of the strict rules about alcohol consumption in the Middle East.
Antonelli was given an unbranded bottle containing a non-alcoholic drink on the podium at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this season.
Miami proved to be Antonelli’s first victory on US soil since making his F1 debut in 2025.
Antonelli will also not be allowed to drink champagne if he finishes on the podium at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, as well as the Miami Grand Prix next season.
The 2027 Miami Grand Prix falls before Antonelli’s 21st birthday on 25 August.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.