Formula 1 has spent the last few years transforming itself from a motorsport series into a cultural phenomenon that carries almost as much social currency as front-row seats at fashion week. Now, its romance with luxury fashion has found a new headliner – and this one arrives draped in green and red. Gucci has officially signed a long-term deal with Alpine, taking over as the team’s title partner from the 2027 season in a move that pushes F1 even deeper into the world of high fashion.
From 2027 onward, the Enstone outfit will line up on the grid as the ‘Gucci Racing Alpine Formula 1 Team,’ with the Italian fashion house’s unmistakable aesthetic becoming part of the team’s visual identity. But Gucci isn’t simply slapping its logo on a car and calling it a day. The partnership, which closes the chapter on BWT’s five-year run as Alpine’s title sponsor, also acts as the springboard for ‘Gucci Racing’, a new platform the brand describes as a fusion of ‘business, experience, sport, and culture’ – built around the same traits F1 worships.
There’s a certain symmetry in the brands’ pairing. Alpine itself was born from ambition and style when Jean Rédélé founded the marque in 1955. Even back then, it understood that motorsport was as much about speed as identity. Gucci, naturally, knows a thing or two about branding.
Speaking on the announcement, Francesca Bellettini, Gucci president and CEO, described the partnership as “a new chapter” for the brand. “This partnership with Alpine Formula 1 Team writes a new chapter: Gucci becomes the first luxury fashion house to serve as title partner in Formula 1.”
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“That reflects our ambition for the brand and the role we want Gucci to play on this stage. Formula 1 represents today a unique convergence of performance, culture, and global reach, and Alpine Formula 1 Team is the right partner to bring this vision to life,” she revealed.
She also added that Gucci Racing would become “more than a presence on the grid,” hinting that the fashion house’s ambitions stretch far beyond race weekends.
Behind the scenes, though, there may be an even more interesting subplot. Multiple reports suggest former Renault CEO Luca de Meo played a pivotal role in bringing the deal together following his move to Kering, Gucci’s parent company. During his time at Renault, de Meo was central to Alpine’s modern F1 rebuild and was also heavily involved in Flavio Briatore’s return to the team’s leadership setup in 2024. Those existing relationships appear to have helped bridge the gap between the paddock and the runway, and could ultimately shape one of F1’s most lucrative non-automotive partnerships yet.
