May 28 (GMM) Gucci has officially entered Formula 1 as title sponsor of Alpine from 2027 – confirming weeks of growing speculation linking the luxury giant with the Enstone-based squad.
The team announced on Wednesday it will compete under the name ‘Gucci Racing Alpine Formula 1 Team’ from next season.
The partnership will also end Alpine’s current blue-and-pink visual identity under long-time sponsor BWT.
Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore welcomed the deal enthusiastically.
“Partnering with a prestigious brand of Gucci’s calibre in Formula 1 as title partner is something I am incredibly proud of,” Briatore said.
“The Enstone team has a history of doing things differently to others and has previously shown that fashion can finish first in Formula 1.”
The move is particularly interesting given that former Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who had brought Briatore in as Alpine advisor, left the French carmaker last year to become CEO of Gucci parent company Kering.
De Meo openly linked Formula 1’s commercial explosion to Gucci’s decision.
“Formula 1 has long since evolved far beyond the sport itself,” he said. “It has become one of the world’s strongest premium content platforms.”
Gucci CEO Francesca Bellettini claimed Gucci is the “first luxury fashion house to serve as title partner in Formula 1”.
The timing is also significant politically inside Alpine.
The team’s ownership structure remains under scrutiny, with Otro Capital’s 24 percent stake available for sale, and Christian Horner, BYD, and Mercedes all linked with possible involvement.