Charles Leclerc Set for Strategy Showdown Ahead of 2026 F1 Italian Grand Prix (Exclusive)

The Monegasque will take on Chess Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in the build-up to Ferrari's home race at Monza.

Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari

Charles Leclerc may be one of the most recognizable drivers in the world of Formula 1, but ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver is taking on a new frontier.

In partnership with sponsor Chivas Regal, Leclerc has developed a new strategy game called Se!ze, French for his racing number 16.

It is the second step in the collaboration between the Monegasque and Chivas Regal after a special edition CL16 whiskey was released earlier this year, but now the Chess-inspired strategy game will break cover at a public event in Italy on September 1, where Leclerc will go head-to-head with five-time Chess Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura.

In an exclusive interview with Grand Prix on SI, Leclerc and Nakamura provided a deep-dive into Se!ze ahead of the showdown.

"It was a super exciting experience," Leclerc said in relation to the creation of the game. "With Chivas Regal, we try to find ways to make the partnership cool, exciting and relevant as well.

"We have had two projects, with the CL16 whiskey and now the game, Se!ze. I have always been a big fan of chess and I love strategy games in general. When Chivas gave me the challenge of coming up with a strategy game, I thought, 'Well, I have never thought about this before'.

"Luckily, I was helped in that process, but I really wanted to make something around my number 16, and that is where the whole idea started from. I remember I had 40 or 50 questions about the games I liked, what I liked about chess and then the first version arrived, and we worked from that first version in order to make it cool and fun."

Leclerc has been working with Chivas Regal in the background while focusing on his F1 efforts, with the championship ushering in a new set of technical regulations for 2026.

Scuderia Ferrari

When asked for a timeline of development for Se!ze, Leclerc replied: "It was from the very beginning of the partnership, so around a year ago.

"It has been a long process and we kind of started with the whiskey and the game at the same time, but then it all went very quickly; it doesn't feel like a year. It went all very quickly to playing the first versions and understanding what the weaknesses of the game were, or what could make it more interesting and then adding other layers to it without making it too complicated.

"For me, it was important that it was a game accessible for everyone and that you wouldn't have to study too much to understand it. So it is a very simple game, but a game that I found very fun. I don't know how fun it will be to play Hikaru because he will have an easy time, but I will try and do my best."

While Nakamura may well be a Chess Grandmaster, the different format of Se!ze could be a leveler for Leclerc.

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Explaining the similarities and differences between the two games, the American said: "When I look at the game, it is really exciting because, while I am a master of chess, I play other games as well. I play Go casually, not seriously, of course. There are other games like Othello, checkers, so for me, it is exciting to see the combination of the different games.

"One thing that is very similar is the piece movement, so there are certain pieces that move like a rook or a bishop and I think that is the biggest similarity between chess and Se!ze.

"It is really creative. I'm curious to see whether the people at Monza like it, if there is a future for it, but in general it's fantastic to see this collaboration, to see what Charles has done with Chivas. It is fantastic; it's a great game.

"The other thing, so far, as someone who has played a lot of games, from the AI perspective, there are quite a few games which are becoming close to solved, if not hard-solved. Checkers or Draughts is basically solved at this point. So for me, the challenge of trying to see how much of it I can work out - it's really great."

While it is a different game, Se!ze's roots in Chess and Leclerc's public profile could provide the community with an opportunity to welcome a new audience.

Scuderia Ferrari

"I think this is a gateway into multiple games," Nakamura insisted. "The three that it is probably closest to are Chess, Checkers and GO specifically. But even beyond that, I am the type of person that plays all sorts of games, so when I think about it, there's also a Japanese version of Chess called Shogi, and there's some similarities there too.

"When Charles came with this game, there were thoughts about all these different games, but I think it can definitely be a gateway to Chess.

"Certainly, when you see similar movements, in a sense, it is a simplified version and there is less of a fear of looking like an idiot when you do something wrong, whereas in Chess, when you lose a game, there is a sense of you look stupid or not that smart, so it's a good opportunity."

And despite the Chivas Regal Arena of Mastery being primarily fun and a display of the game, Nakamura has been putting in the work to understand the format ahead of his face-off with Leclerc.

"As someone who has played so many different games, I like to get to the meat to understand how to play the game. So I have played a fair amount, just online against one or two people that I know - I just created an online version of it.

"So I have played a bit, I'm not going to be try-harding because at the end of the day, it is a game that should be fun, but I am always curious about the intricacies.

"As someone who plays a lot of Chess - and this is probably similar to Formula 1 - the opening stage is very important and with this game, the opening is going to be important, so I am trying to come up with some basic strategies to give myself the best possible chance.

"Like I said, I'm not try-harding or anything, but I am always curious and trying to master whatever I do."

And Nakamura will be attending the Italian GP as part of the event, adding to his tally of F1 visits.

Scuderia Ferrari

"I have been to one F1 race," he revealed. "In Miami, two or three years ago. It is not my first time. But I will say, as someone who has spent a fair amount of time in Italy in the past... these days my Italian should be passable!

"I am excited to go to the race and really looking forward to it. If you look at the history of racing, Ferrari have a storied history, and hopefully they'll win that weekend. I shouldn't jinx it, I guess!"

Leclerc is famously a huge fan of Chess, having spoken in interviews about his battles with Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton - including a funny interaction during a fan stage interview this year where both admitted to using computer software to decide moves during a late-night session.

But the public game with Nakamura is a different story entirely, and Leclerc, who won this year's British Grand Prix at Silverstone, beamed: "I am super excited to play against Hikaru most of all.

"We have played once before, but we were playing chess, and he was playing with 19 other people and beat me so easily. Now, hopefully I can be a little closer at Se!ze, but mostly looking forward to that.

"Then, of course, it is going to be an incredible event and showing that game we have been working on to other people and getting feedback is going to be super interesting. So I am looking forward to that evening; it is going to be very cool."

Of the end goal for Se!ze? Leclerc revealed: "I think we will see what the reaction is like, but for sure we will want to build that and for people to try it and potentially build a small community around the game would be really cool."

The Chivas Regal Arena of Mastery takes place on September 1 in Italy, with Charles Leclerc and Hikaru Nakamura facing off in a game of Se!ze, the game created by the Ferrari driver.