In a ground-breaking move orchestrated by Flavio Briatore, Italian fashion powerhouse Gucci will become Alpine's title sponsor from 2027. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
Expensive watches and exotic cars were about the extent of “luxury” items you would find on a Formula One track, but Alpine and Gucci will change things next season.
In a move that feels more Monaco yacht club than traditional motorsport paddock, Italian fashion powerhouse Gucci will become Alpine’s title partner from 2027, creating the Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team.
It is one of the boldest branding moves Formula One has seen in years and another sign that the sport is transforming into the ultimate luxury playground. The move is as eccentric as the man orchestrating it himself — Flavio Briatore.
It is a deal that sees the team secure $150 million (about R2.78 billion). Perhaps the partnership could help push Alpine up the competitive order and actually fight for wins.
F1 have always flirted with wealth and glamour. Champagne celebrations, billion-dollar team owners, celebrity-packed grids and elite hospitality suites have long been part of the spectacle. But Gucci’s arrival takes things to another level. This is not just a sponsorship logo on a sidepod.
This is one of the world’s most recognisable fashion brands attaching itself directly to the identity of a Formula One team. The deal perfectly reflects where F1 are heading. Since American-owned Liberty Media took over the sport, F1 has become less about pure racing and more about global entertainment.
The paddock now resembles a luxury fashion week mixed with a Hollywood premiere. Drivers are cultural icons, team launches look like designer runway events and brands are desperate to tap into the sport’s younger, wealthier audience.
Gucci’s involvement also signals how attractive F1 One have become to the premium fashion industry. Brands no longer see the sport as just an engineering competition; they see influence, exclusivity and aspiration.
F1 offer access to high-net-worth consumers in cities like Monaco, Miami, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, which are exactly the markets luxury companies target.
For Alpine, the partnership is about reinvention. The team have spent years fighting to establish themselves among Formula One’s elite and this agreement instantly elevates their image. Gucci bring prestige, attention and cultural relevance that few sponsors can match and, for the sport, entirely new viewers.
Do not be surprised if the paddock changes because of it. Fashion collaborations, designer teamwear and luxury lifestyle activations are likely to become even more common in Formula One’s future.
The sport once sold speed. Now it is just selling in general.
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch