The Italian fashion house will become the French team’s title sponsor starting in 2027. A spectacular alliance between luxury, performance, and global pop culture, approved by CEO of Kering Luca de Meo at the annual shareholders’ meeting.
Formula 1 continues to attract luxury giants. Following LVMH and TAG Heuer, Gucci is now joining the grid for the long term. The Italian fashion house, part of the Kering group, will become the title sponsor of the Alpine team starting in 2027, which will be renamed the “Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team” for the occasion. A historic first for a luxury fashion brand in the world of F1.
Gucci and Alpine: a partnership designed for the global stage
With this partnership, Gucci isn’t just slapping its logo on a race car. The brand intends to create a true creative space called “Gucci Racing,” designed as a platform blending performance, design, culture, and immersive experiences.
The Alpine team will thus gradually phase out its current visual identity to adopt Gucci’s iconic red and green colors. The goal is clear: to transform the French team into a global showcase capable of appealing to a younger, more international audience that is increasingly attuned to the intersections between sports, fashion, and entertainment.
In a context where Formula 1 now reaches more than 1.5 billion viewers worldwide, the partnership appears strategic for Gucci, which seeks to strengthen its cultural influence and revitalize its commercial momentum.
An initiative approved by Luca de Meo
This collaboration also bears the signature of one man: Luca de Meo. A former executive at the Renault Group before taking the helm at Kering, the Italian executive is thoroughly familiar with the Alpine universe and the marketing power of Formula 1.
At Kering’s annual general meeting held on May 28, Luca de Meo confirmed the full strategic legitimacy of this partnership. According to him, this alliance between Gucci and Alpine “makes perfect sense” at a time when F1 has moved far beyond the realm of sports to become a global platform for content, influence, and desirability.
The executive sees this partnership as a natural convergence between two worlds that share the same values: excellence, innovation, precision, and the pursuit of performance.
Combining Alpine’s sporting heritage with Gucci’s creative expertise, this union stands out for its coherence. Francesca Bellettini, President and CEO of Gucci, stated that this collaboration “writes a new chapter” for the brand, positioning Italian luxury at the heart of the world’s most prestigious competition.
Formula 1, the new playground for luxury
Gucci’s arrival above all confirms a fundamental trend: F1 has become one of the most powerful platforms for premium brands.
Thanks to the success of the “Drive to Survive” series, the surge in American viewership, and the arrival of a younger, more female audience, luxury houses now see the paddocks as spaces of influence comparable to Fashion Weeks.
For Gucci, this initiative goes far beyond traditional sponsorship. It’s about repositioning the brand within an aspirational, tech-driven, and highly publicized world. It’s also a way to strengthen its global brand image at a time when the luxury sector is experiencing a slowdown.
Alpine Takes a Leap Forward
For Alpine, this partnership marks a major turning point. The French team gains a partner capable of delivering unprecedented global visibility and strategic financial clout in an increasingly competitive championship.
Flavio Briatore, the team’s executive advisor, is already talking about a partnership capable of “shaking things up” in Formula 1. Alpine hopes to capitalize on its recent sporting progress to reach a new milestone, both on and off the track.
With Gucci, Formula 1 is moving even further into the era of luxury spectacle.
Read also > How has Formula 1 become the sport of choice for luxury brands ?
Featured photo: © Gucci
