As F1 continues to gain popularity across the globe, brands are struggling to get a piece of the action via sponsorships. LVMH cut a deal before the 2025 season that gave it naming rights to the Monaco Grand Prix, among other benefits. The latest fashion house to get a piece of the F1 popularity pie is Gucci.
The famed Italian designer may no longer be owned by any member of the Gucci family, as notoriously depicted in House of Gucci, but that hasn’t affected the appeal the brand commands.
It is making its F1 sponsorship debut as the title partner of Alpine Formula One Team starting from the 2027 season. Under the partnership, the team will race as Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team and compete in Gucci colors. Hopefully, that doesn’t mean the drivers and pit crew will look more like runway models.
According to the official release, the arrangement marks the first time a luxury fashion house has served as title partner of a Formula One team. That seems to contradict the fact that United Colors of Benetton, UCB (also an Italian Fashion House), not only sponsored various F1 teams but also owned a team outright before selling it to Renault. But you could make the argument that UCB isn’t really a luxury brand.
The partnership also introduces Gucci Racing, a new business and experiential platform centered on performance, precision, discipline, and excellence, as luxury goods fuse with sport. No reason to wait until 2027 to start oiling that marketing machine.
For Gucci, Formula One offers a global stage with cultural reach far beyond race weekends. F1 is a rapidly expanding platform with a diverse and premium audience across key markets. Gucci Racing will debut with a logo that pairs the House’s interlocking G with the Gucci Racing wordmark.
The partnership will go beyond trackside branding. Over the coming seasons, both companies plan to tap the joint venture through content, product, high-end client experiences, and exclusive engagements. They aim to build what the companies describe as a distinctive, high-impact platform.
Francesca Bellettini, President and CEO of Gucci, called the partnership “a new chapter,” saying it reflects Gucci’s ambition and the role the House wants to play on Formula One’s high-stakes stage. She framed Gucci Racing as an expression of the brand’s future.
The move also brings Alpine’s motorsport identity into sharper focus. Founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, Alpine has long been tied to performance, while Renault Group’s Formula One heritage dates back to 1977. The Alpine Formula One Team currently operates from Enstone in Oxfordshire, a site associated with seven Formula One World Championships across its previous identities as Benetton, Renault F1 Team, and Lotus F1 Team.
Renault Group CEO François Provost said Formula One is a crucial asset for Alpine’s ambitions, helping build awareness and influence across markets while reaching new ones. Ever colorful Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine Formula One Team, described the Gucci partnership as a source of pride and pointed to the team’s growing momentum on track.
With Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team set to appear in 2027, the venture brings together Italian luxury, French motorsport, and the global theatre of Formula One. For Gucci, it is a new arena for visibility and cultural relevance. Surely, that should add more drama to the following season’s Drive to Survive.
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