Rewrite
On his latest expedition for enlightenment, Features Editor Ben Tibbits joins Chivas Regal and Ferrari in Singapore for the notorious Grand Prix. There, he digs into the current F1 invasion on culture, investigates the Scotch Whisky brand’s new game-changing launch, Crystalgold, and meets plenty of intriguing characters along the way.
This is a story about wealth. This is a story about innovation. This is a story about legacy. This is a story about a crystal clear spirit from the Scottish lowlands. This is a story – like all good stories – that begins with an Addison Lee.
London is at its most idyllic in the quiet moments before sunrise. The sky is still dark, and the city sleeps. I slump in the back seat of the car, and look out of the window at the confused skies, grey in hue but flirting with brightness, with hope, with change. I guess you could call it pathetic fallacy?
As the sun emerges and I reach Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport, so does my realisation of the adventure ahead. The other side of the world awaits.
I’ve never really understood F1. Aside from the fact that I can’t drive, have limited patience for repetitive action and am already sensing my hearing worsening faster than you can say tinnitus, it’s the luxury of it that traverses my comprehension. It’s a world I’ll never truly understand, one which I’ve been limited in experiencing – and one I’m about to dive head first into for the next seven days.
I’m joining Scotch Whisky House Chivas Regal on a sprawling and sensational escapade to Southeast Asia for the Singapore Grand Prix, the 18th race of the current season. In the run up to the trip, I’m told that this race is a particularly difficult obstacle in the calendar. It’s a notorious challenge – occurring at night because of the heat, which is barely copeable even when the sun disappears. And, it’s a street race, meaning it is generally trickier to overtake other cars and – well – not crash. With hopes of some drama on the track (mild of course, with no injuries except perhaps a damaged ego or two), my expectations are exorbitant.
My hosts Chivas boast a decorated history that outweighs most of its contemporaries in lineage and achievements, and are an official partner of Ferrari. The racing team for the Italian racing stalwart consists of two of the highest profile drivers of the current cohort – British legend Lewis Hamilton, whose move from Mercedes at the end of last season has been met with mixed results, and the sport’s resident heartthrob, Charles LecLerc. The latter is born-and-raised in Monte Carlo, easy on the eye, with a musical inclination (he plays the piano) and a buttery French accent. Oh, and he is also a Global Brand Ambassador for Chivas Regal. I’m not jealous…you are.
It’s a big week for Chivas; they are about to shake up the entire spirit industry. Known for their 12, 18 and 25 year staple bottles, and synonymous with creamy, aromatic characteristics and dark, oaky colourings, the latest launch is a tad different. Crystalgold they call it. The drink is – you guessed it – crystal-clear, an anomaly for scotch, whilst apparently maintaining the fullness of the flavour. It’s a completely new venture for the brand, and one largely unexplored in the wider market.
So, how did they do it? Does it taste good? Will Charles drive to glory in the Singapore heat? These are all questions pouring my curiosity as I struggle to settle down on my 13 hour flight. A journey elsewise plagued with attempting to meet magazine deadlines and indulging in the simple elegance of plane food, I touch down in uncharted territory.
Excitement just about overawes the fatigue. Unsure at how it’s apparently 7am, I find some friendly new publicist and journo pals and I’m on route to the hotel. Gazing out the window, struggling to keep my consciousness afloat, Singapore surprises me. It’s more industrial than I imagined, and every building seems to be at least 20 stories high. Apparently chewing gum is banned. I’ve got multiple packs on me – Extra, the blue kind of course. I feel naughty in an accomplished way.
Ah finally, a bed; on the top floor of the Mondrian Hotel, in a suite larger than most flats I’ve lived in, no less. I know I shouldn’t sleep, I should battle against the jet lag. Maybe just half an hour to rest my eyes…
I wake up six hours later, regretfully groggy, without much time before I’m due to meet up with the rest of the press party. Popping a shirt on and half combing my hair, I jump in a car and head to the Edition Hotel for the beginning of the celebrations to come. Tonight is the launch of the Chivas Regal Crystalgold, with a whole array of guests – media, influencers, the wider brand family – in attendance. There’s a variety of things to keep those with a tendency to wander (me) busy. Chess boards (a consistent feature in the visual language of the campaign), and plenty of new faces to get friendly with. Most significantly, my first taste of the drink, mixed into a cocktail called the Leclerc Spritz. It’s damn delicious.
There’s speeches from Rhys Wilson, a Global Brand Ambassador and cocktail-making maestro, Sandy Hyslop, who is the world-renowned Master Blender, and Mr Leclerc himself, who speaks with authenticity and passion about the brand. I’m quite impressed, and definitely not envious of his continued ability to do everything perfectly. Anyways, it’s clearly a big moment for Chivas, everyone seems joyous.
A few more spritzers later, and I’m being shuffled into a taxi back to the hotel, grab some dinner and attempt to recalibrate my sleeping pattern. It’s unsuccessful. I’m tossing and turning, mind bolting from one thing to the next, dreaming up revolutionary thoughts about how to save the journalism industry, jotting them down sporadically in my Notes app. In the morning, most of them seem delirious.
I wake up 15 minutes before the buffet breakfast ends, scrambling for some scrambled eggs. Today, we’re off to Marina Bay Sands to dive deeper into the new launch. Up the elevator to the 52nd floor, I shake off a slight case of vertigo and prepare myself for a couple of quickfire interviews.
Firstly, Sandy, the characterful Scottish man who is the brains behind Chivas Regal’s innovation. He’s been in the spirit business for 40 years – through “pure luck” he quips as we settle in for a swift chat – and the Master Blender at Chivas for over 20 laps round the sun. Continuing to rise to the demand of a changing market, he leads from the front in the brand’s evolution to mirror modern drinking habits.
“We see trends shifting and people drinking earlier in the day, not going out so late at night,” he explains on the initial concept for the new bottle. “They’re looking for something fresh. We wanted versatility – something [you can drink] neat, on ice, in a cocktail. The brief for me was clear: to make a clear spirit that really surprised people with the amount of flavour in it. Because the clear spirit category doesn’t tend to have a lot of flavour. We wanted to dial it right up; removing the colour and keeping the flavour is a challenge. We spent a lot of time on the process of pulling that together; my technical team and my blending team worked together for the first time through the process of managing the process. I’ve been Master Blender through Chivas Regal for 20 years – man alive, I don’t want anything going wrong under my tenure.”
Luckily, the endeavour has resulted in triumph, thanks to the work and metamorphosis of the Chivas team. And, with a little help from a certain Ferrari driver. “Working with Charles is great,” Sandy says. “He really wants to know the details, he’s really invested in Chivas as a brand. He came to Scotland and spent the weekend with us, going around the distilleries. His questions were awesome, I said that to him, I said, ‘You’re asking questions that my team don’t even ask.’ But he wanted to be confident that he was representing a brand that had the sort of credentials that he was looking for, and I think that’s important.”
It’s a mutual love affair. “I’m a very curious person,” the man himself tells me shortly after. Despite the near double figure amount of professionals in the room listening into our conversation, Leclerc remains breezy and affable. “Going to see Chivas in Scotland, I discovered a whole new world of passion that was within the brand, and it really struck me and was what I loved about the brand. And with our new product, I think that’s another showing of that – how to innovate while staying true to yourself and to the roots of what made them so iconic. Still innovating in a world where I did not expect innovation was such a big thing, but they managed to do something that was new and that’s something I really respect.”
There’s a natural correlation between the brand and Charles’ centric goal – innovation. “It’s not always easy,” he admits on maintaining focus on his goals. “Very often, I try to force myself to focus on the bigger picture. It’s very easy in the good or the bad moments to look at what the issue of the now is. But it’s a lot more difficult to take a step back and look at the big picture – that’s normally when I tend to make better decisions.”
Only a Global Brand Ambassador since earlier this year, there’s the feeling that Leclerc is looking forward to a long, prosperous relationship with Chivas, clearly passionate about this new launch in a way that goes far beyond box ticking a list of contractual agreements. He’s also looking forward to the race ahead, with “the track itself being one of my favourites of the season. [Singapore] is an amazing place.” Hurried to wrap up, with a whole host of journalists in line to be charmed by him, I pose one final query to Charles LecLerc.
What excites you?
The adrenaline. It’s something that I’ve always loved. And the obsession of trying to do better every single day. Together with my team, which is also an important reason why I love this so much, that I’m not on my own and I’ve got extremely talented people around me, coming up with ways of outperforming our competition. This is a process that I really liked. Competition, teamwork and adrenaline are the three things that motivate me.
A short car ride later and I’m back in the best smelling hotel in all of Asia. I have the afternoon and evening to myself, but unfortunately those damn deadlines are circling in, so I spend it staring down the bottomless abyss that is my laptop rather than exploring the city. I grab some dinner at the hotel, a stunning beef ragu – melt in the mouth stuff.
Despite another somewhat rocky night’s kip, I’m up nice and early the next day, making use of the gym and rooftop pool. The afternoon ahead has got me worked up – a dumpling and cocktail masterclass. The latter is first up, held by my new idol, the previously mentioned Rhys Wilson, an Aussie living in London with impeccable chat and the best tasting drinks. We’re taught how to make the classic margarita with a Chivas Regal Crystalgold twist. Taste? Excellent. Impact? Long lasting.
The dumpling challenge, though, is less successful. I’ve had a few drinks at this point and forget to listen to the nice chef, frantically trying to copy those around me. My dumplings combust, pretty much. But the filling (pre-supplied) is good at least. Next, we are blessed with an extravagant dinner, an opportunity to get to know some of my travelling companions, before heading back to a bar next to the hotel. There, I meet some interesting Americans whose names I can’t remember, and drink a perfectly poured Guinness. What a treat!
The next day sees the stakes kicked up a few notches – the Grand Prix beckons. It may only be the practice session, but there’s a buzz in the air as I step out into the muggy late afternoon heat and we’re taken to The Regal Club, a hospitality suite with a track side view of the race. There, I dig into a plethora of cocktails concocted by the cocktail whizz Rhys, who also whisks us through a whisky tasting crash course, and size up the eclectic buffet on offer.
After a few hours of light conversation and mid-weight drinking, the practice laps start up. And my gosh, these cars move fast. It’s loud, brash, and thrilling, even if just in practice. Later in the night, we go up the nearby ferris wheel for a panoramic view of the course, taking in the beauty of Singapore in the process. After the practice concludes, we head for a nightcap (or two) at Nutmeg & Clove, a tasteful local watering hole.
It’s a ropey following morning – one too many Leclerc Spritzes. It’s an earlier start too, with an exclusive Q&A session with Fréd Vasseur, the team principal of Ferrari. He’s a stern-looking man, but actually comes across rather friendly, as he talks race specifics and expectations with Rhys – my God, that man can do it all.
There’s a – I’m sure – dazzling lunch due to happen after, but given my wonky condition, I sneak off for a lie down, eager to focus on recuperating my energy for the evening activities ahead. I pull myself from the brink of decrepitation and into the back of a cab, ready to go again.
Today, we’re upping the sophistication levels even higher, as guests in The Crystalgold Lounge. We have a tasting of the Crystalgold with Sandy, the Master Blender himself, before I tuck into some amuse-bounches and get deep into some chess. There’s several boards set up, accompanied by some lovely local fellas who are savants of the game. I know the rules, but certainly am no expert. The guys – one of whom is apparently a ‘grandmaster’ – teach me the ins and the outs of the craft. I’m hooked.
Towards the end of my stint, I feel ready to take on the real challenge – man vs machine. There’s a robot chess gadget with 15 levels of difficulty. I begin on the third, and make it up to sixth before registering a loss. I felt a slight sense of triumph. I hope I made my coaches proud.
I get so engrossed that I forget about the race itself. It’s the qualifying round today, which in reflection seems to be the most exhilarating of all. Our pair of Ferrari dreamboats don’t perform as well as the crew would have hoped, clocking in at the end as the sixth and seventh quickest. But we shrug off our disappointment and head out for an after party at Sushi Samba for more cocktails, a bit of a boogie for some and in-depth conversations about football and the band Geese for me – classic.
It’s another slow morning after a late night before (including a 4am trip to the local McDonalds in which a worker was throwing me the dirtiest stares I’ve ever encountered…maybe I’m the problem). But today is the big one – race day – so I’m back in fighting shape by the time we’re embarking back off to the course. It’s the fanciest of all too, entering the Paddock Club, which is full of men in expensive clothes, an insane array of dining options, and my old frenemy Charles Leclerc even drops by for a quick chat.
The race itself – all 62 laps of it – ends in frustration for Ferrari, with neither Charles or Lewis getting on the podium. Still, there’s always next time, ay? No need to dwell on what’s past, it’s time for one last blow out.
The closing party at LAVO is a celebration of the week, and of course of the Crystalgold launch. It’s got a hell of a view from the outside balcony, a DJ, dancers, waiters putting food and drink in front of you every five minutes. It’s deluxe, lavish beyond my grasp. It makes me think – there’s so many layers to the wealth and exclusivity of this sport. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been granted some amazing opportunities in my time working for the magazine, but this is another level. I’m overawed, grateful but slightly unsettled by it all.
It’s a raucous final night, befitting of the incredible week I’ve had. The next morning greets me with the familiar ache of conclusion. A restful day ensues with an evening flight. I’m sitting in the eyeline of Sporty Spice herself, Mel C, who had also been in Singapore DJing at the Grand Prix. She’s an excellent plane sleeper. I, on the other hand, can’t manage to drift off. My brain bends round corners and up straights, racing to accomplish the true essence of my experience. By the time I’m back slouched in an Addison Lee in the early hours of the morning, barely awake, being driven back to my natural habitat of East London, I think I’ve found the answer.
Some brands are better than others at being authentic – when consumerism is the end goal, it’s hard to keep your . But it really feels like with the Crystalgold, Chivas Regal have done something bold, fresh, daring, and impressive. Set against the backdrop of the world’s new premium sport, I’ve had a five star experience in every sense – a long way from Wetherspoons pub crawls, rave in a cafe, or chargerless descent into madness – and come away with a genuine affiliation for Chivas. And that’s down to the people – Rhys, Sandy, the wonderful Golin PR team, and of course, my irritatingly chiseled counterpart, Charles LecLerc.
Am I an F1 convert? Not a fucking chance. It’s just cars going around in circles?
singapore
Find out here about Crystalgold here.
Words – Ben Tibbits
in HTML format, including tags, to make it appealing and easy to read for Japanese-speaking readers aged 20 to 40 interested in fashion. Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), translating all text, including headings, into Japanese. Retain any existing
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On his latest expedition for enlightenment, Features Editor Ben Tibbits joins Chivas Regal and Ferrari in Singapore for the notorious Grand Prix. There, he digs into the current F1 invasion on culture, investigates the Scotch Whisky brand’s new game-changing launch, Crystalgold, and meets plenty of intriguing characters along the way.
This is a story about wealth. This is a story about innovation. This is a story about legacy. This is a story about a crystal clear spirit from the Scottish lowlands. This is a story – like all good stories – that begins with an Addison Lee.
London is at its most idyllic in the quiet moments before sunrise. The sky is still dark, and the city sleeps. I slump in the back seat of the car, and look out of the window at the confused skies, grey in hue but flirting with brightness, with hope, with change. I guess you could call it pathetic fallacy?
As the sun emerges and I reach Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport, so does my realisation of the adventure ahead. The other side of the world awaits.
I’ve never really understood F1. Aside from the fact that I can’t drive, have limited patience for repetitive action and am already sensing my hearing worsening faster than you can say tinnitus, it’s the luxury of it that traverses my comprehension. It’s a world I’ll never truly understand, one which I’ve been limited in experiencing – and one I’m about to dive head first into for the next seven days.
I’m joining Scotch Whisky House Chivas Regal on a sprawling and sensational escapade to Southeast Asia for the Singapore Grand Prix, the 18th race of the current season. In the run up to the trip, I’m told that this race is a particularly difficult obstacle in the calendar. It’s a notorious challenge – occurring at night because of the heat, which is barely copeable even when the sun disappears. And, it’s a street race, meaning it is generally trickier to overtake other cars and – well – not crash. With hopes of some drama on the track (mild of course, with no injuries except perhaps a damaged ego or two), my expectations are exorbitant.
My hosts Chivas boast a decorated history that outweighs most of its contemporaries in lineage and achievements, and are an official partner of Ferrari. The racing team for the Italian racing stalwart consists of two of the highest profile drivers of the current cohort – British legend Lewis Hamilton, whose move from Mercedes at the end of last season has been met with mixed results, and the sport’s resident heartthrob, Charles LecLerc. The latter is born-and-raised in Monte Carlo, easy on the eye, with a musical inclination (he plays the piano) and a buttery French accent. Oh, and he is also a Global Brand Ambassador for Chivas Regal. I’m not jealous…you are.
It’s a big week for Chivas; they are about to shake up the entire spirit industry. Known for their 12, 18 and 25 year staple bottles, and synonymous with creamy, aromatic characteristics and dark, oaky colourings, the latest launch is a tad different. Crystalgold they call it. The drink is – you guessed it – crystal-clear, an anomaly for scotch, whilst apparently maintaining the fullness of the flavour. It’s a completely new venture for the brand, and one largely unexplored in the wider market.
So, how did they do it? Does it taste good? Will Charles drive to glory in the Singapore heat? These are all questions pouring my curiosity as I struggle to settle down on my 13 hour flight. A journey elsewise plagued with attempting to meet magazine deadlines and indulging in the simple elegance of plane food, I touch down in uncharted territory.
Excitement just about overawes the fatigue. Unsure at how it’s apparently 7am, I find some friendly new publicist and journo pals and I’m on route to the hotel. Gazing out the window, struggling to keep my consciousness afloat, Singapore surprises me. It’s more industrial than I imagined, and every building seems to be at least 20 stories high. Apparently chewing gum is banned. I’ve got multiple packs on me – Extra, the blue kind of course. I feel naughty in an accomplished way.
Ah finally, a bed; on the top floor of the Mondrian Hotel, in a suite larger than most flats I’ve lived in, no less. I know I shouldn’t sleep, I should battle against the jet lag. Maybe just half an hour to rest my eyes…
I wake up six hours later, regretfully groggy, without much time before I’m due to meet up with the rest of the press party. Popping a shirt on and half combing my hair, I jump in a car and head to the Edition Hotel for the beginning of the celebrations to come. Tonight is the launch of the Chivas Regal Crystalgold, with a whole array of guests – media, influencers, the wider brand family – in attendance. There’s a variety of things to keep those with a tendency to wander (me) busy. Chess boards (a consistent feature in the visual language of the campaign), and plenty of new faces to get friendly with. Most significantly, my first taste of the drink, mixed into a cocktail called the Leclerc Spritz. It’s damn delicious.
There’s speeches from Rhys Wilson, a Global Brand Ambassador and cocktail-making maestro, Sandy Hyslop, who is the world-renowned Master Blender, and Mr Leclerc himself, who speaks with authenticity and passion about the brand. I’m quite impressed, and definitely not envious of his continued ability to do everything perfectly. Anyways, it’s clearly a big moment for Chivas, everyone seems joyous.
A few more spritzers later, and I’m being shuffled into a taxi back to the hotel, grab some dinner and attempt to recalibrate my sleeping pattern. It’s unsuccessful. I’m tossing and turning, mind bolting from one thing to the next, dreaming up revolutionary thoughts about how to save the journalism industry, jotting them down sporadically in my Notes app. In the morning, most of them seem delirious.
I wake up 15 minutes before the buffet breakfast ends, scrambling for some scrambled eggs. Today, we’re off to Marina Bay Sands to dive deeper into the new launch. Up the elevator to the 52nd floor, I shake off a slight case of vertigo and prepare myself for a couple of quickfire interviews.
Firstly, Sandy, the characterful Scottish man who is the brains behind Chivas Regal’s innovation. He’s been in the spirit business for 40 years – through “pure luck” he quips as we settle in for a swift chat – and the Master Blender at Chivas for over 20 laps round the sun. Continuing to rise to the demand of a changing market, he leads from the front in the brand’s evolution to mirror modern drinking habits.
“We see trends shifting and people drinking earlier in the day, not going out so late at night,” he explains on the initial concept for the new bottle. “They’re looking for something fresh. We wanted versatility – something [you can drink] neat, on ice, in a cocktail. The brief for me was clear: to make a clear spirit that really surprised people with the amount of flavour in it. Because the clear spirit category doesn’t tend to have a lot of flavour. We wanted to dial it right up; removing the colour and keeping the flavour is a challenge. We spent a lot of time on the process of pulling that together; my technical team and my blending team worked together for the first time through the process of managing the process. I’ve been Master Blender through Chivas Regal for 20 years – man alive, I don’t want anything going wrong under my tenure.”
Luckily, the endeavour has resulted in triumph, thanks to the work and metamorphosis of the Chivas team. And, with a little help from a certain Ferrari driver. “Working with Charles is great,” Sandy says. “He really wants to know the details, he’s really invested in Chivas as a brand. He came to Scotland and spent the weekend with us, going around the distilleries. His questions were awesome, I said that to him, I said, ‘You’re asking questions that my team don’t even ask.’ But he wanted to be confident that he was representing a brand that had the sort of credentials that he was looking for, and I think that’s important.”
It’s a mutual love affair. “I’m a very curious person,” the man himself tells me shortly after. Despite the near double figure amount of professionals in the room listening into our conversation, Leclerc remains breezy and affable. “Going to see Chivas in Scotland, I discovered a whole new world of passion that was within the brand, and it really struck me and was what I loved about the brand. And with our new product, I think that’s another showing of that – how to innovate while staying true to yourself and to the roots of what made them so iconic. Still innovating in a world where I did not expect innovation was such a big thing, but they managed to do something that was new and that’s something I really respect.”
There’s a natural correlation between the brand and Charles’ centric goal – innovation. “It’s not always easy,” he admits on maintaining focus on his goals. “Very often, I try to force myself to focus on the bigger picture. It’s very easy in the good or the bad moments to look at what the issue of the now is. But it’s a lot more difficult to take a step back and look at the big picture – that’s normally when I tend to make better decisions.”
Only a Global Brand Ambassador since earlier this year, there’s the feeling that Leclerc is looking forward to a long, prosperous relationship with Chivas, clearly passionate about this new launch in a way that goes far beyond box ticking a list of contractual agreements. He’s also looking forward to the race ahead, with “the track itself being one of my favourites of the season. [Singapore] is an amazing place.” Hurried to wrap up, with a whole host of journalists in line to be charmed by him, I pose one final query to Charles LecLerc.
What excites you?
The adrenaline. It’s something that I’ve always loved. And the obsession of trying to do better every single day. Together with my team, which is also an important reason why I love this so much, that I’m not on my own and I’ve got extremely talented people around me, coming up with ways of outperforming our competition. This is a process that I really liked. Competition, teamwork and adrenaline are the three things that motivate me.
A short car ride later and I’m back in the best smelling hotel in all of Asia. I have the afternoon and evening to myself, but unfortunately those damn deadlines are circling in, so I spend it staring down the bottomless abyss that is my laptop rather than exploring the city. I grab some dinner at the hotel, a stunning beef ragu – melt in the mouth stuff.
Despite another somewhat rocky night’s kip, I’m up nice and early the next day, making use of the gym and rooftop pool. The afternoon ahead has got me worked up – a dumpling and cocktail masterclass. The latter is first up, held by my new idol, the previously mentioned Rhys Wilson, an Aussie living in London with impeccable chat and the best tasting drinks. We’re taught how to make the classic margarita with a Chivas Regal Crystalgold twist. Taste? Excellent. Impact? Long lasting.
The dumpling challenge, though, is less successful. I’ve had a few drinks at this point and forget to listen to the nice chef, frantically trying to copy those around me. My dumplings combust, pretty much. But the filling (pre-supplied) is good at least. Next, we are blessed with an extravagant dinner, an opportunity to get to know some of my travelling companions, before heading back to a bar next to the hotel. There, I meet some interesting Americans whose names I can’t remember, and drink a perfectly poured Guinness. What a treat!
The next day sees the stakes kicked up a few notches – the Grand Prix beckons. It may only be the practice session, but there’s a buzz in the air as I step out into the muggy late afternoon heat and we’re taken to The Regal Club, a hospitality suite with a track side view of the race. There, I dig into a plethora of cocktails concocted by the cocktail whizz Rhys, who also whisks us through a whisky tasting crash course, and size up the eclectic buffet on offer.
After a few hours of light conversation and mid-weight drinking, the practice laps start up. And my gosh, these cars move fast. It’s loud, brash, and thrilling, even if just in practice. Later in the night, we go up the nearby ferris wheel for a panoramic view of the course, taking in the beauty of Singapore in the process. After the practice concludes, we head for a nightcap (or two) at Nutmeg & Clove, a tasteful local watering hole.
It’s a ropey following morning – one too many Leclerc Spritzes. It’s an earlier start too, with an exclusive Q&A session with Fréd Vasseur, the team principal of Ferrari. He’s a stern-looking man, but actually comes across rather friendly, as he talks race specifics and expectations with Rhys – my God, that man can do it all.
There’s a – I’m sure – dazzling lunch due to happen after, but given my wonky condition, I sneak off for a lie down, eager to focus on recuperating my energy for the evening activities ahead. I pull myself from the brink of decrepitation and into the back of a cab, ready to go again.
Today, we’re upping the sophistication levels even higher, as guests in The Crystalgold Lounge. We have a tasting of the Crystalgold with Sandy, the Master Blender himself, before I tuck into some amuse-bounches and get deep into some chess. There’s several boards set up, accompanied by some lovely local fellas who are savants of the game. I know the rules, but certainly am no expert. The guys – one of whom is apparently a ‘grandmaster’ – teach me the ins and the outs of the craft. I’m hooked.
Towards the end of my stint, I feel ready to take on the real challenge – man vs machine. There’s a robot chess gadget with 15 levels of difficulty. I begin on the third, and make it up to sixth before registering a loss. I felt a slight sense of triumph. I hope I made my coaches proud.
I get so engrossed that I forget about the race itself. It’s the qualifying round today, which in reflection seems to be the most exhilarating of all. Our pair of Ferrari dreamboats don’t perform as well as the crew would have hoped, clocking in at the end as the sixth and seventh quickest. But we shrug off our disappointment and head out for an after party at Sushi Samba for more cocktails, a bit of a boogie for some and in-depth conversations about football and the band Geese for me – classic.
It’s another slow morning after a late night before (including a 4am trip to the local McDonalds in which a worker was throwing me the dirtiest stares I’ve ever encountered…maybe I’m the problem). But today is the big one – race day – so I’m back in fighting shape by the time we’re embarking back off to the course. It’s the fanciest of all too, entering the Paddock Club, which is full of men in expensive clothes, an insane array of dining options, and my old frenemy Charles Leclerc even drops by for a quick chat.
The race itself – all 62 laps of it – ends in frustration for Ferrari, with neither Charles or Lewis getting on the podium. Still, there’s always next time, ay? No need to dwell on what’s past, it’s time for one last blow out.
The closing party at LAVO is a celebration of the week, and of course of the Crystalgold launch. It’s got a hell of a view from the outside balcony, a DJ, dancers, waiters putting food and drink in front of you every five minutes. It’s deluxe, lavish beyond my grasp. It makes me think – there’s so many layers to the wealth and exclusivity of this sport. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been granted some amazing opportunities in my time working for the magazine, but this is another level. I’m overawed, grateful but slightly unsettled by it all.
It’s a raucous final night, befitting of the incredible week I’ve had. The next morning greets me with the familiar ache of conclusion. A restful day ensues with an evening flight. I’m sitting in the eyeline of Sporty Spice herself, Mel C, who had also been in Singapore DJing at the Grand Prix. She’s an excellent plane sleeper. I, on the other hand, can’t manage to drift off. My brain bends round corners and up straights, racing to accomplish the true essence of my experience. By the time I’m back slouched in an Addison Lee in the early hours of the morning, barely awake, being driven back to my natural habitat of East London, I think I’ve found the answer.
Some brands are better than others at being authentic – when consumerism is the end goal, it’s hard to keep your . But it really feels like with the Crystalgold, Chivas Regal have done something bold, fresh, daring, and impressive. Set against the backdrop of the world’s new premium sport, I’ve had a five star experience in every sense – a long way from Wetherspoons pub crawls, rave in a cafe, or chargerless descent into madness – and come away with a genuine affiliation for Chivas. And that’s down to the people – Rhys, Sandy, the wonderful Golin PR team, and of course, my irritatingly chiseled counterpart, Charles LecLerc.
Am I an F1 convert? Not a fucking chance. It’s just cars going around in circles?
singapore
Find out here about Crystalgold here.
Words – Ben Tibbits
and integrate them seamlessly into the new content without adding new tags. Ensure the new content is fashion-related, written entirely in Japanese, and approximately 1500 words. Conclude with a “結論” section and a well-formatted “よくある質問” section. Avoid including an introduction or a note explaining the process.
