Disney Consumer Products is expanding its Formula 1 partnership to include F1 Academy, the all-female feeder series entering its third season. The move, announced ahead of the Shanghai Grand Prix, adds trackside branding and product rights for the Academy to Disney's existing F1 license, which already covers merchandise and content for the main championship. Financial terms were not disclosed. Tasia Filippatos, president of Disney Consumer Products, said the expansion reflects growing commercial interest in the Academy as teams and sponsors size exposure to women's motorsport ahead of potential growth.
The F1 Academy deal is clean incremental coverage—Disney gets inventory at 10 Academy rounds in 2026, including support races at Barcelona, Silverstone, and Austin, without bidding against existing F1 stakeholders. The series is backed by $5 million in annual Formula 1 funding and draws sponsors looking for cheaper entry than the main paddock. Disney's bet is that Academy merchandise and content can ride F1's U.S. momentum without competing directly with Oracle Red Bull Racing or McLaren-branded goods. The company has not disclosed Academy-specific revenue targets, but licensing revenue from F1 grew an estimated 18% year-over-year in 2025, per industry sources familiar with Disney's sports portfolio.
Separately, Alpine F1 is in preliminary discussions with Gucci to replace BWT as title sponsor starting in 2027, according to two people familiar with the matter. BWT's $30 million annual deal expires at the end of 2026, and Alpine's new ownership—controlled by a €1 billion consortium led by billionaire Flavio Briatore and private equity backers—is pursuing luxury partners to reposition the team ahead of the 2026 power unit regulation change. Gucci, owned by Kering, has no active title sponsorship in motorsport but has run activations at Monaco and Miami in recent seasons. The talks are early, and Alpine is also speaking with financial-services and technology firms, per a person close to the team. A Gucci spokesperson declined to comment. Alpine declined to comment.
The Gucci approach would mark luxury's second serious title-sponsor bid in Formula 1 after LVMH's reported interest in Ferrari in 2023, which did not progress. Luxury brands have largely limited their F1 exposure to trackside activations and paddock hospitality, where executives can control brand adjacency without committing to team performance risk. A title sponsorship ties Gucci directly to Alpine's on-track results, which have been middling—Alpine finished sixth in the constructors' championship in 2025, down from fourth in 2024. But the team's new ownership has earmarked €150 million for 2026 technical development, and Briatore's return brings name recognition and access to Italian manufacturing networks that appeal to Kering's commercial team. The question is whether Gucci's brand committee will accept the mechanical risk that comes with midfield F1.
For Alpine, a Gucci deal would represent a 15-20% premium over BWT's expiring contract, per one person familiar with the team's commercial targets. It would also signal confidence in Alpine's ability to compete under 2026's hybrid power unit rules, which favor manufacturers like Renault with legacy engine programs. BWT, a water-technology company, has been a steady but low-profile partner, and Alpine's new backers are betting that a luxury logo on the engine cover will increase hospitality revenue and driver-endorsement appeal. The team has not yet opened renewal talks with BWT, and people close to both parties expect a decision by the Monaco Grand Prix in late May.
Disney's Academy play is the safer bet. The company avoids the mechanical volatility that haunts team sponsors and gains trackside inventory at a fraction of main-paddock pricing. F1 Academy's 2026 calendar includes 10 races, with broadcast on ESPN in the U.S. and Sky Sports in the UK, giving Disney content leverage for its streaming and licensing business. The series is also expanding to 15 teams in 2026, up from 10 in 2025, as manufacturers and constructors add female driver programs. Disney's licensing deal includes rights to Academy team logos and driver likenesses, which the company will use for apparel and accessories targeting the series' younger, more female-skewed audience.
Gucci's decision will come down to whether Kering's commercial team believes F1 title sponsorship can drive handbag and footwear sales in Asia, where Alpine is pushing for a second race in China or Vietnam by 2027. Alpine's owners are betting yes. The paddock, as always, is waiting for the contract language.
The takeaway
Disney takes low-risk F1 Academy inventory while Gucci sizes Alpine's **€35 million** title slot—luxury's first real paddock test since LVMH passed on Ferrari.
formula 1alpinedisneyguccif1 academysponsorship
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