Flavio Briatore Says Gucci’s Arrival Has Alpine in Talks With Three or Four More Brands
The Gucci deal isn’t just a sponsorship – it’s apparently an advert for the next one.
Alpine is now in discussions with three or four prospective sponsors, according to executive advisor Flavio Briatore, who attributed the surge in commercial interest to the team’s high-profile title sponsorship agreement with Gucci. When asked directly whether Gucci would generate a halo effect for the rest of the team’s sponsor portfolio, Briatore answered:
“One hundred percent, because we negotiated with three or four different brands in this moment to be associated,” he said. “You know, it’s important when you’re talking about the sponsor. It’s always business to business. And it’s important in our car, the association between Gucci, Eni and MSC. It is an incredible group of companies. And all these companies, if you want, are Italian because MSC, Mr Aponte is from Salerno and he lives in Geneva, but MSC is Italian. Eni is one of the big European oil companies, the chairman is Italian, and the other one is Gucci. So I believe we have an incredible quality of the brands in the car.”
Why the Gucci Effect Is Real
The partnership with Gucci, set to begin in 2027, will see the Italian fashion brand become the first luxury house to serve as a title sponsor for any team on the F1 grid. The Race has put the annual value of that agreement somewhere in the range of $50 million to $60 million. The deal runs over three years and includes performance-based incentives, bringing the potential overall figure to more than $150 million. That kind of money moves fast through the paddock grapevine.
The partnership was built on a rare alignment of relationships. Briatore managed Benetton through its championship years in the early 1990s, so working alongside a fashion brand is familiar territory for him. And Luca de Meo – who helped structure the Gucci tie-up as CEO of Kering, Gucci’s parent – previously ran Renault Group, which owns Alpine. The deal was less a cold pitch than a reunion of familiar faces with money to spend.
MSC Cruises and Eni are already confirmed partners for 2026, and the team’s 2026 car was unveiled aboard the MSC World Europa. The combination of Gucci, Eni, and MSC – each carrying Italian heritage and global reach – reflects a conscious effort to shape Alpine’s image, not just secure its finances.
The commercial story also has a performance foundation under it. Alpine finished last in the 2025 Constructors’ Championship with 22 points, having redirected most of its focus toward the 2026 car and the switch from Renault to Mercedes power. The strategy has proven effective, with the team occupying sixth place in the 2026 championship standings according, as Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto have combined to deliver points in almost every round contested so far.
Briatore isn’t wrong that quality attracts quality. Brands considering a major F1 investment now look across the car and ask what company they’d be keeping. At the moment, Alpine’s answer to that question is considerably more impressive than it was eighteen months ago – and apparently, three or four other boardrooms have noticed.
