The chief of major Formula 1 team sponsor Petronas has issued an apology for spraying champagne during podium celebrations at the Singapore Grand Prix. George Russell won the race, meaning a representative of the Mercedes team was invited onto the podium alongside the top three drivers.
Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff extended the opportunity to Petronas chief executive Tengku Muhammad Taufik, who accepted the invitation. And, following motorsport tradition, once the trophies had been awarded and national anthems performed, champagne bottles were opened and the fizz was sprayed in celebration.
Tengku Muhammad, a former Strathclyde University student, was completely drenched in champagne after participating in the post-race ritual alongside Russell, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. However, the 49-year-old has now issued an apology for causing upset amongst fellow Muslims by participating in the alcohol-drenched festivities, acknowledging he should have exercised better judgement rather than getting swept up in the moment.
He said: “I acknowledge that my spur-of-the-moment exuberance in celebrating that moment of victory may have been misplaced. While I can categorically state I did not consume any alcohol, as a Muslim, I should have been more aware of the sensitivities associated with taking part in such celebrations. I want to apologise for any unintended offence caused and take full responsibility for my actions.”
Champagne is commonly used by F1 at the majority of races for spraying during podium celebrations. However, non-alcoholic alternatives are employed at certain races where they are legally forbidden from using alcohol.
Of the current 24 race events in F1, just three are impacted. At the Bahrain, Saudi Arabian and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, sparkling grape juice serves as a replacement. But there exists no prohibition on alcohol usage for such purposes in Singapore, nor was there previously when the sport competed in Malaysia, where Petronas is headquartered.
The victory marked Russell’s second triumph of the season and Mercedes’ first Singapore success since 2018, when a 20 year old Verstappen was also the runner-up behind Lewis Hamilton. The Briton stays fourth in the drivers’ championship with 237 points – 37 fewer than Verstappen ahead but 63 clear of Charles Leclerc behind.
Despite not having a car consistently quick enough to achieve this during the current campaign, Russell declared following his Singapore triumph: “I feel ready to fight for a championship. I feel ready to take it to my next step. I’m a very different driver today to the one I was a couple of years ago, and I feel more complete, more confident. I know exactly what I need to do in given circumstances.”