Farewell to the pink Alpine in Formula 1. With immediate effect, the Renault team will change its livery, and the reason is decisive: Gucci has entered as the new main sponsor. But this isn’t just another partner; it is an investment estimated at between 50 and 60 million dollars with an old acquaintance behind it: Luca de Meo.
Less than a year ago, de Meo unexpectedly resigned from all his posts at Renault after making some unpopular decisions inside and outside Formula 1. Now he returns as the top executive of Gucci and reaffirms a project in Formula 1 to which he wants to give a new dimension.
Gucci will paint Franco Colapinto’s Alpine black and gold
The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix was the last one Alpine contested while pink. In a completely unexpected move, the French team has reached an agreement with Gucci to become its new sponsor, breaking the contract that tied them to BWT, the water-supply brand that forced them to go pink.
Gucci, the giant Italian fashion house, arrives with between 50 and 60 million dollars of investment in Alpine and with a new black and gold livery that we will already see at the Monaco Grand Prix. But what is really relevant is not the sponsor change, but what lies behind it. And above all, who: Luca de Meo.
De Meo was one of the major drivers of Alpine’s project in Formula 1, working with Flavio Briatore and making some unpopular decisions to make the project more viable, such as stopping engine production at Viry-Châtillon and renting engines from Mercedes. But last June, de Meo abruptly resigned.
De Meo left Renault to become CEO of the Kering Group. It seemed to be his definitive goodbye to the world of Formula 1, but nothing could be further from the truth. Because Gucci belongs to the Kering Group, and it is clear that de Meo is behind a bet that could have more depth than it appears given Alpine’s situation.
Precisely since he left, Alpine has carried the label ‘For Sale’ due to doubts about Renault’s new leadership. For now Gucci enters only as a sponsor, but it could be the first step toward something bigger. After all, those familiar with the Enstone team’s history won’t be too surprised.
Before becoming Renault, the Enstone team was Benetton, another Italian brand from the textile industry. Also with Flavio Briatore as team principal, Benetton went on to win two Formula 1 world championships in 1994 and 1995, with Michael Schumacher as the driver. Who knows if Gucci is now ready to reclaim that legacy.
Images | Renault, Alpine
