Flavio Briatore has outlined how Alpine’s $150 million partnership with Gucci fits into his wider plan to rebuild the Enstone team, provide long-term stability and eventually return it to winning in Formula 1. Speaking with his customary directness, Alpine’s executive adviser reflected on his Benetton past, Formula 1’s extraordinary commercial growth and the principles he believes are needed to create a successful racing operation.
For Flavio Briatore, the challenge facing Alpine ultimately comes down to managing people and assembling the right package. His ambitions extend far beyond sponsorship and marketing, but the arrival of Gucci as the team’s title partner in 2027 is an important part of the financial and cultural stability he wants to establish at Enstone.
From 2027, the team will compete as Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team. The partnership is reportedly worth $150 million and has been described by Flavio Briatore as one of the smartest commercial agreements completed during his long Formula 1 career.
How a “terrible idea” became Alpine’s $150m Gucci deal
Formula 1 already had Louis Vuitton as an event partner, but no luxury fashion house had placed its name directly on a car. During an interview with The Race, Flavio Briatore explained that he approached his long-time friend Luca de Meo, who had moved into a senior role at Gucci’s parent company after previously leading Renault, with the idea of bringing the Italian brand onto the Alpine car.
Luca de Meo’s initial assessment was that it was “a terrible idea”. Flavio Briatore, however, refused to abandon the proposal.
“I never gave up,” he said. “I pushed, pushed and pushed.”
Luca de Meo eventually acknowledged that the plan might be worth pursuing, although François-Henri Pinault still needed to be convinced. Several meetings followed before Flavio Briatore invited the Kering chairman to attend the Monaco Grand Prix, his first Formula 1 race.
The atmosphere in Monaco immediately generated enthusiasm for the project, and Gucci ultimately decided to join Alpine as its title sponsor. The agreement was formalised within two months.
“It is good for Formula 1 because we have the two best luxury brands in the world: Louis Vuitton on one side and Gucci on the other,” Flavio Briatore said, noting that both were being led by Italians.
According to Flavio Briatore, Gucci’s commitment extends throughout the organisation, from its leadership to its retail stores. Dedicated Formula 1 merchandise is expected to appear in every boutique, while the Alpine livery, driver overalls and related products will be designed to change the way the team presents itself to the public.
Flavio Briatore is also negotiating with another three or four brands attracted by the partnership and the commercial platform being created around it.
“Finally, we are giving some stability to a team that has always been a little unsettled,” he said.
Flavio Briatore sees clear parallels with Benetton
The comparison with Flavio Briatore’s time at Benetton is inevitable. During the late 1980s and 1990s, he helped bring a fashion company into Formula 1 at a time when few believed a so-called “T-shirt manufacturer” could compete against established teams such as Ferrari, McLaren and Williams.
“At the time, Benetton had 7,000 stores and was almost a luxury brand,” Flavio Briatore recalled. “Nobody gave us a penny when we started in 1989 or 1990. By 1995, we were already world champions with 50% of the budget of Ferrari or McLaren.”
Michael Schumacher was the team’s greatest asset, but the overall strategy extended beyond its star driver. Benetton moved away from the traditional technical magazines dominating Formula 1 coverage and embraced publications such as Vogue, organising fashion shoots, working with models and creating an image that was completely different from its rivals.
The cars were often towards the back of the grid during the early stages of the project, but Benetton was already leading the field in terms of media visibility.
“We combined the spirit of fashion with the spirit of technology,” Flavio Briatore said.
The team also developed a generation of technical talent who would later become major figures in Formula 1. Ross Brawn, Pat Symonds, Alan Permane and Jonathan Wheatley were among those connected to what Flavio Briatore considers the Benetton school.
Approaching Formula 1 as an outsider helped him recognise opportunities that traditional motorsport figures did not always see.
“Formula 1 is like any other business,” he explained. “It is about managing people and putting the right package together.”
Flavio Briatore was never a traditional motorsport enthusiast and admitted that he probably would not follow Formula 1 races if he did not have a team involved. He prefers football, having gained experience through Queens Park Rangers and Burnley.
His outside perspective encouraged him to try ideas that were unusual at the time. He created his own television programme years before the arrival of Drive to Survive and introduced a paddock newsletter concept that was later adopted by Red Bull.
Liberty Media transformed Formula 1’s commercial value
Flavio Briatore sees a clear difference between the Bernie Ecclestone era and Formula 1 under Liberty Media. While Ecclestone created the foundations of the modern championship, Liberty opened its commercial and marketing activities to a much broader audience.
“Liberty brought the American feeling,” Flavio Briatore said. “Drive to Survive was the key. Before, we survived; after Drive to Survive, we survive much better.”
The Italian believes Formula 1 is no longer primarily a male sport, claiming that women now account for 60% of its audience. Races routinely sell out, while the average age of the fanbase has reportedly fallen to approximately 28 to 30.
Silverstone recorded 560,000 spectators, while Spa-Francorchamps attracted 100,000. The expanding audience has encouraged Formula 1 to continue experimenting with its weekend format, with Flavio Briatore also calling for Sprint races at all 24 Grands Prix.
Team valuations have grown just as dramatically. According to Flavio Briatore, the Enstone operation has risen from a value of approximately $80 million to around $3.5 billion.
Renault itself is valued at slightly more than $8 billion, while Alpine’s Formula 1 team alone is estimated to be worth between $3.2 billion and $3.5 billion.
“We represent 40% to 50% of Renault’s value,” Flavio Briatore said.
He smiled while recalling that, as recently as 2019, almost nobody would have believed that a company such as Gucci could become the title sponsor of a Formula 1 team.
Flavio Briatore’s priority is rebuilding Alpine
Despite the commercial opportunities surrounding Gucci, the principal priority remains Alpine’s performance on the circuit.
“We are not tourists; we are here to win,” Flavio Briatore said.
Alpine still needs to find approximately half a second of performance. Pierre Gasly is highly regarded within the team, but Flavio Briatore believes the organisation requires greater continuity and a stronger foundation before its driver line-up can become the decisive factor.
The team has already benefited from moving to Mercedes power units and gearboxes for 2026. The change has allowed Alpine to focus more of its resources on the chassis, while the Mercedes partnership has given the Enstone operation greater confidence in the rear of the car. Flavio Briatore has previously explained why Alpine selected Mercedes as its power unit partner rather than pursuing a possible agreement with Ferrari.
The effects of that decision have already been visible during the opening half of the season, with Alpine’s Mercedes engine switch helping to transform its competitiveness after a difficult 2025 campaign.
Flavio Briatore is now trying to provide financial and technical stability while recruiting people with the right experience and ability. Internal culture is central to his project. Employees must feel that they are part of a genuine racing team rather than an anonymous division of a major automotive corporation.
That philosophy has driven the broader effort to rebuild Alpine around stability and clearer leadership.
“Whatever the final product is, whether it is a pizza or a car, the process is the same: you create the right concept,” Flavio Briatore explained.
Gucci expected to raise Alpine’s global profile
Looking towards the future, Flavio Briatore believes Formula 1 still has considerable room to grow. It has developed into one of the world’s leading global sports, with supporters of different teams able to attend events together in a largely friendly environment.
He expects the Gucci partnership to create a major increase in merchandise sales and international exposure for Alpine. The team’s new identity will encompass its car, driver clothing, retail presence and overall communication strategy.
“When we present the livery and the race suits, our car will be the number one most photographed car in the world,” Flavio Briatore predicted.
The commercial transformation still has to be matched by results. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto have helped Alpine become far more competitive during the opening half of 2026, although further development will be needed to consolidate the team’s position. Pierre Gasly has already described the forthcoming Zandvoort upgrade package as critical to its hopes of recovering fifth place.
The latest Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship standings demonstrate how close the battle remains between Alpine and its midfield rivals.
Flavio Briatore credits Liberty Media and Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali with taking the championship’s image, popularity and commercial valuations to a level that once appeared impossible. For the Italian manager, the arrival of luxury brands such as Gucci represents the clearest confirmation of that transformation.
His next task is ensuring that the renewed visibility, financial security and internal confidence produce results on the circuit. The old Benetton methods cannot simply be copied, but Flavio Briatore remains convinced that their central principles—strong leadership, distinctive marketing, talented people and a relentless focus on winning—can work again at Alpine.
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