Gucci to become Alpine F1 title partner from 2027
Over the years of Formula One, we’ve seen some questionable team names on the grid, to say the least.
It comes as a result of many teams, often lower down on the leaderboard, being forced to shoehorn in various sponsors into the title to raise much needed revenue to survive in the sport, although it often results in an incoherent mish-mash of a name.
Yes, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team, I’m looking at you.
Alpine may have struggled in recent years in F1; however, it will have one of the better team names from 2027, as it leaves behind its current title partner, BWT, and begins racing under the banner of ‘Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team’ from the start of the 2027 season. The Italian luxury fashion brand is joining Louis Vuitton in getting involved in the pinnacle of motorsport, although its name will be seen on one of the competing cars, as opposed to being dotted around circuits on the calendar.
The announcement of the collaboration sees the beginning of Gucci Racing, which, according to the brand, is ‘a new business and experiential platform built around the values of performance, precision, discipline and excellence at the intersection of luxury and sport’.
A key figure in the deal was Luca de Meo, Chief Executive Officer of Kering and former Renault Group CEO. De Meo was the driving force behind merging Renault Sport and its Formula 1 team into the Alpine brand in 2021.
De Meo said: “Formula One has evolved far beyond sport to become one of the world’s most powerful premium content platforms, reaching over 1.5 billion people each season and inspiring a rapidly expanding, younger and increasingly female audience. As a space of creativity, pursuit of excellence and human achievement, we see it as a unique platform for a luxury brand to push boundaries, spark meaningful connections and build long-term value and brand desirability, while delivering measurable and lasting impact.”
One thing’s for certain; expect to see surely the most stylish race suits in F1 history in the Alpine garage next year.
Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine and Gucci President Francesca Bellettini signing the agreement
Francesca Bellettini, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gucci: “This partnership with Alpine Formula One Team writes a new chapter: Gucci becomes the first luxury fashion house to serve as Title Partner in Formula One. That reflects our ambition for the brand and the role we want Gucci to play on this stage. Formula One represents today a unique convergence of performance, culture, and global reach, and Alpine Formula One Team is the right partner to bring this vision to life. Gucci Racing is more than a presence on the grid: it is an expression of who we are and where we want to take the brand. And there is much more to come. We are grateful to Alpine and the entire Renault Group for sharing this ambition with us.”
Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine Formula One Team: “Partnering with a prestigious brand of Gucci’s calibre in Formula One as title partner of Alpine Formula One Team is something I am incredibly proud of. Not only that, but I am also excited about the possibilities the partnership with Gucci brings and the great things we can achieve together at a global level.”
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Alpine