F1 and the $150m Gucci gamble: Struggling fashion brand ‘wants to be cool again’

AI, GPFans, Alpine, Gucci — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 and the $150m Gucci gamble: Struggling fashion brand ‘wants to be cool again’

Times are hard at Gucci in 2026

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Tuesday 2 June 2026 20:27

When Alpine announced its major title sponsorship deal with high-end fashion brand Gucci it was seen as a major coup for F1, but in reality it was the other way around.

While the popularity of F1 continues to skyrocket in the ‘Drive to Survive’, the once mighty Gucci brand is struggling these days, and it needs something to make it cool again.

With sales waning and the brand lagging behind at the intersection of sport and culture, the Gucci brass decided to bet big on motorsport.

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They inked a $150 multi-year partnership with Alpine, which will see the very name of the team include Gucci moving forward.

The announcement (of course) came just ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, an event which high-end brands are desperate to be a part of.

It is very much a sign of the times that sponsorship deals in F1 are no longer limited to petrol and cigarette brands. The game has changed, and the sport is happy to embrace its ever-changing demographic and the dollars that come with it.

Why Gucci is betting big on F1

‘Drive to Survive’ star Will Buxton spoke about the deal on the Up To Speed podcast this week, and how much he believes Gucci needs this.

“You talk about Gucci bringing a new fanbase to Formula 1 - for me this makes total sense to me because Gucci needs Formula 1’s fanbase. More than bringing Gucci’s fanbase to Formula 1, Gucci needs Formula 1’s fanbase to come to them. Because why would you do the deal otherwise?

“Gucci wants to be cool again. This is about Gucci needing to bring in that new Formula 1 fanbase and say ‘Hey kids, look at us - we’re hip, we’re cool, we can do the macarena’.”

Buxton himself is not a massive Gucci fan, and the purist in him does worry about the gaudy potential for Alpine merchandise and liveries moving forward. But he still sees why the deal makes so much sense, particularly for the fashion brand.

“Look, everyone needs money and it has to come from somewhere in order to run a Formula 1 team. Look, I dread to think what the livery is going to look like. I shudder at what the team kit is going to look like.

“Look, I’m not a Gucci fan but that’s neither here nor there - doesn’t matter what I think. The fact is you have one of the world’s leading fashion brands becoming a title sponsor - and high-end fashion whether you like it or not. And taking that title sponsorship of a Formula 1 team is big.”

The fact Gucci is struggling is not breaking news, it’s not an overnight change. A massive turnaround is now being attempted, and the Alpine deal will be a key part of that.

Gucci 'struggling for identity'

“Look it’s huge, it’s absolutely huge. But I think Gucci needs this the most…Gucci’s being left behind in this space, not just F1 but I think at this level of sport culture where that relevance intertwines, Gucci has been left behind.

“And Gucci’s sales over the last 12 months have suffered terribly. They’re down, I believe I’m right in saying, over 20% over the last 12 months. And even in the markets that you were mentioning - China in particular - their sales are down massively.

“They’re struggling, they’re struggling for identity and they need something to give them that boost.”

F1 Alpine