Gucci to become title partner of Renault's Alpine F1 team from 2027

PARIS, May 27 : Gucci will become title partner to Renault's Alpine Formula One team from the 2027 season, the Italian luxury brand said on Wednesday.

Alpine, whose current title partner is Austrian water treatment company BWT,  will race as Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team.

The announcement is Gucci's latest in a string of high-profile moves to boost its visibility and revive sales after years of decline. Earlier this month, it staged a major runway show in New York's Times Square to grab global attention. 

The collaboration will be part of Gucci Racing, which Gucci says will be "a new business and experiential platform built around the values of performance, precision, discipline, and excellence at the intersection of luxury and sport."

For luxury brands confronted with falling global demand for their prized handbags and dresses, exclusive events, such as Formula One racing, have emerged as a major new playing field.  

In 2024, Liberty Media-owned Formula One clinched a multi-year deal with French luxury giant LVMH valued at over $100 million. 

The Gucci deal, for which no financials were disclosed, will make the brand the first luxury fashion house to lend its name to a racing team, the company said.

The tie-up also brings the brand closer to the world of Luca de Meo, the CEO of Gucci's French parent company Kering, who previously served as Renault's chief executive.

"Formula One has evolved far beyond sport to become one of the world's most powerful premium content platforms, reaching over 1.5 billion people each season and inspiring a rapidly expanding, younger and increasingly female audience," said de Meo.

"We see it as a unique platform for a luxury brand to push boundaries, spark meaningful connections and build