Luxury fashion brand Gucci – which is headed up by former Renault Group boss Luca de Meo – will serve as the title sponsor of the Alpine Formula 1 team from next season.
It will replace BWT as the title sponsor of the Enstone-based outfit, which from 2027 onwards will be known as the Gucci Racing Alpine Formula 1 Team.
The team will adopt the Italian brand’s colours, marking a departure from the French Racing Blue and pink livery it has run in recent years.
De Meo, who left his role as Renault Group CEO last year to take up a position as boss of the Kering Group, which owns numerous high-end brands including Gucci, was understood to have been key to the deal.
During his time at the helm of Renault, de Meo was one of the biggest proponents of the firm’s involvement in F1 and a driving force behind the decision to rebrand its team from Renault to performance brand Alpine.
Notably, the new deal showcases Renault’s commitment to keeping the team in F1 despite the decision to scrap its own engine programme at the end of last year in favour of a supply of customer Mercedes-AMG engines.
As part of the agreement, Gucci will create a new Gucci Racing brand, which it describes as a “business and experiential platform”.
De Meo said Gucci felt F1 provided “a unique platform for a luxury brand to push boundaries, spark meaningful connections and build long-term value and brand desirability”.
Flavio Briatore, who was brought in by his friend de Meo to serve as executive advisor to the Alpine F1 team, said that he was “excited about the possibilities” that the partnership would provide.
He added: “The Enstone team has a history of doing things differently to others and has previously shown that fashion can finish first in Formula 1.”
That is a reference to the fact that the current Alpine enjoyed some of its biggest success when funded by another Italian fashion brand, Benetton.
The Enstone-based squad began as Toleman in 1981 but was bought by Benetton – which has previously sponsored the Tyrrell and Alfa Romeo F1 teams – in 1985.
As Benetton and led by Briatore, the team claimed 27 race wins, with Michael Schumacher clinching back-to-back drivers’ titles in 1994 and 1995. Benetton then sold the team to engine supplier Renault for the 2001 season.
Since then, the team has undergone numerous rebranding and changes of ownership. It was known as Renault from 2001, then became the Lotus F1 Team in 2012, before Renault bought the outfit back in 2016. It was subsequently rebranded it as Alpine in 2021.
The team currently ranks fifth in the 2026 constructors’ championship.