Briatore: Alpine's Gucci Title Deal Was Toughest of My F1 Career

Flavio Briatore says Alpine's title partnership with Gucci, which takes effect next year, was the most challenging commercial deal he has ever negotiated in Formula 1. The arrangement ends the Enstone-based team's association with BWT and places the luxury fashion house directly on the car from 2027.

Why it matters:

Alpine's pivot to Gucci signals a major upgrade in both image and financial firepower. Unlike Louis Vuitton, which backs FOM from the spectator side, Gucci becomes a true title sponsor inside the arena, giving the Enstone squad a prestigious global platform as it tries to climb from the midfield. Briatore's track record of attracting major brands suggests this could be a transformative moment for the team's commercial trajectory.

The details:

• Briatore described the deal as "really difficult" due to the number of parties involved, making it tougher to finalize than past agreements with Mild Seven, Telefónica, and ING.
• Gucci enters as a genuine title sponsor on the car rather than a peripheral backer. Briatore highlighted that this distinguishes it from other luxury brands currently visible around the F1 paddock.
• The announcement triggered staggering global interest, with Briatore claiming one billion website visits within three days of the news breaking.
• The Italian distinguished the partnership from his early Benetton days, noting that while both are fashion brands, Benetton was not a luxury label, making the Gucci arrangement an entirely different category of alliance.
• Briatore expressed gratitude to outgoing title sponsor BWT and its group for their backing since 2022, but insisted the Gucci deal was "perfect" for accelerating the team's financial and commercial growth.

What's next:

With Gucci set to adorn Alpine's livery in 2027, the team has a window to align its operations and marketing with the luxury brand's exacting standards. The challenge now is translating that financial injection into tangible on-track progress, as prestige alone won't close the gap to F1's established frontrunners.