Alpine hails Gucci deal as a major F1 breakthrough

Flavio Briatore says Alpine’s 2027 title-sponsorship agreement with Gucci is one of the biggest deals of his Formula 1 career and one of the hardest to complete, with the team betting it will quickly lift its image, value and financial strength.

Alpine announced last month that Gucci will become its title sponsor from the 2027 season, ending BWT’s run in that role and ushering in a new "Gucci Alpine" identity. Briatore said that rebrand is central to the point of the agreement, arguing it raises the team’s value rather than simply adding another logo.

What made the deal stand out, he said, was the complexity of getting it over the line. Briatore described the negotiation as tougher than previous F1 agreements he has handled with sponsors including Mild Seven, Telefónica and ING. "Gucci is one of the big deals done, I think, in all my time in Formula 1," he said. "We’ve done Mild Seven, we’ve done Telefónica, ING, we’ve done a lot of things, but this one was really difficult to do."

He put that difficulty down to the number of stakeholders involved, but said the early response convinced Alpine it had landed something significant. Briatore claimed the announcement drove one billion website visits in three days, adding that the attention was "good for Formula 1."

Briatore also framed Gucci’s role as different from luxury brands attached to the sport from the outside. Referring to Louis Vuitton’s relationship with Formula One Management, he said: "Louis Vuitton is a sponsor, a supporter of FOM, but in the arena, this is like the spectator. But in the arena, Gucci is in the arena. Gucci is in the car and is a title sponsor."

That distinction matters to Alpine because the team sees the partnership as more than a branding exercise. Briatore said the Gucci agreement was chosen because, "for growing very quickly for the image, as well financially, the deal with Gucci was perfect," making it a commercial move aimed directly at strengthening Alpine’s position from 2027.