Written by Meghana Sree, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
It was recently announced that Formula 1 and luxury conglomerate LVMH have reached a ten-year global partnership deal set to commence in 2025, which marks the Championship’s 75th anniversary.
With this agreement between two paragons of eliteness, signature brands and maisons such as Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Christian Dior, Stella McCartney, Fenty Beauty, Hublot, and many more will have significant influence over the rapidly rising popularity of Formula One racing.
Increasingly, we are witnessing the active involvement of luxury and fashion brands in the sport, to the point that the paddock itself has become a global exposition of LVMH’s enduring legacy in high culture.
However, this isn’t the first instance of contact between the mogul of high-end brands and the pinnacle of motorsports.
Dior’s announcement of Lewis Hamilton becoming their ambassador, Hamilton frequently spotted in LVMH’s labels, Louis Vuitton designing the trophy case for the Monaco Grand Prix since 2021 are some ways of LVMH already displaying their presence in Formula One.
LVMH supporting the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and TAG Heuer supporting Red Bull Racing are just a few ways LVMH has already dipped its toes into Formula One.
Frédéric Arnault, CEO of LVMH Watches, stated:
“For many years, several of our Maisons have also chosen to invest in Formula 1, whether to create unique experiences or for moments of celebration. With our Maisons and the expertise of our Group, we want to further grow this experiential dimension that Formula 1 provides all over the world.
“We are only at the very beginning of this partnership, but the seasons that await us promise to be extraordinary.”
It’s plain that this decade-long deal has been a long time coming, seeing as Formula One itself is a glamorous whirlwind of classy car manufacturers competing to finish on champagne-drenched podiums each week. Indeed, it is only natural that Formula One chooses to align itself with a company that specialises in living the fine life.
But what does it mean for our cherished sport? How does this impact the fans? Well, for one, it would mean that one can expect even more driver, team, and Grand Prix pair-ups with LVMH’s subsidiaries, which is sure to bring in a fresh wave of fans to the sport driven by the predominant intersection of fashion and fast cars.
LVMH could further elevate F1’s position as a global sports entertainment, and although LVMH caters more to the elite, the general populace and digital mediascape’s desire to be associated with such culturally sought-after brands will certainly fuel more visibility.
The Bernard Arnault-headed conglomerate has previously been linked with sporting events such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, NFL, Paralympics, and the Premier League – all of which have become unmistakable parts of popular culture narratives.
A similar phenomenon could be awaiting Formula One, a taste of which was given in Las Vegas last year. However, whether this will be welcomed by long-time fans or spoken out against remains to be seen.
Other more immediate-effect shifts that this deal could bring are in the title sponsors of Grands-Prix, the podium champagne suppliers, and in who becomes the new timekeeper of F1 after Rolex announced its exit from the role with the end of 2024.
The podium champagne, or sparkling wine rather, is currently sponsored by the Italian brand Ferrari Trento. This could change, and Moët & Chandon could supply the champagne once more, going back to their roots of being the first company to sponsor the iconic champagne sprays in the sport.
As for F1’s next timekeeper, we might have to get used to Rolex’s gold crown being replaced by the iconic green and red emblem of TAG Heuer.
Similar to Moët & Chandon's previous connection to the sport, the Swiss watchmaker also has had a longstanding relationship with Formula One, having been the official timekeeper from 1992 to 2003.
Apart from these changes, the collaboration between fashion and Formula One could be immensely bolstered — the paddock becoming a runway for the debut of new trends inspired by motorsports, and even special one-off liveries paying tribute to LVMH’s maisons are certainly on the horizon for this decade-long deal.
Capitalising on the growing cultural relevance of both F1 and LVMH brands, this collaboration will undoubtedly be beneficial to both parties. It will be exciting to see how this partnership shapes F1 in an era of dramatic changes both outside and within the sport.
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