We've had Gucci-branded cars before, but this is something entirely new.The racing team gets the money they need, and Gucci gets access to some seriously wealthy spectators.Pleasingly, the tie-up is a bit of an echo of Alpine's old Benetton racing days.Founded in 1921 in Florence, Italy, the house of Gucci grew from a small leatherwork specialist to a globe-spanning fashion giant. Along the way, we somehow ended up getting a Gucci-themed AMC Hornet wagon. That mashup was a bit weird really, but the later Gucci Cadillac Seville was a more fitting luxury product, and the Florentine fashion house was soon a well-established brand in the US. Now, it's going racing.gucci x alpine formula 1As the new title sponsor for Alpine's Formula 1 racing team, Gucci is investing an undisclosed amount of money into getting its name in front of well-heeled potential clientele all over the world. If you can afford to get a ticket to the F1 races in Miami or Monza, you've probably got pockets deep enough to want a pair of Gucci loafers in your closet. The tie-up makes all kinds of sense.It's unclear how long this sponsorship has been brewing, but there are some behind the scenes connections here. The always flamboyant Flavio Briatore, Alpine's team principal, is a longtime friend of Luca de Meo, CEO of French corporate giant Kering. Kering owns Gucci, so there can be little doubt that the pair have been chatting informally about the mutual benefits of the move for a while.The timing is particularly good as far as Gucci is concerned, as the Alpine team is having a particularly good year. In the 2025 season, they were dead last, but are now solidly mid-pack, sandwiched between Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto aren't close to challenging the front-runners for the championship, but they are both solidly in the double-digit points.Gucci and Alpine representatives are calling this a first for a high fashion house to sponsor an F1 team, but this is actually something of a pattern for Alpine. Before it was owned by Renault, the team's main sponsor was Benetton, with whom none other than Michael Schumacher won two world championships. Also founded in Italy, the Benetton clothing group is still in existence, though not as dominant as in the 1990s.The Gucci Racing Alpine team will debut in the coming 2027 season, presumably wearing a livery that contains the signature double-G with red and green bands. The circus that follows F1 around, particularly the celebrity paddock walks, is as much a place to be seen as to see. Adding a fashion brand into the mix makes all kinds of sense. You have to think that if Lady Gaga's Patrizia Reggiani character from House of Gucci was still at the company, she'd insist on being allowed to drive the actual F1 car.