The LVMH-Formula 1 Partnership Explained
This week’s Melbourne Grand Prix kicks of the 10-year-contract between the luxury conglomerate LVMH and Formula 1. This deal is valued at EUR 100 million (USD 110 million) a year, which sums up to EUR 1 billion over the ten-year-period.[1] LVMH which stands for Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy is based in France and owns, as the name suggests the fashion and leather goods brand Louis Vuitton, spirits such as Moet et Chandon champagne, Hennesy cognac and further spirits and also further famous brands such as Dior, Fendi, the suitcase company Rimowa, Tiffany’s, Tag Heuer and Sephora, to just name a few. It is owned by the Arnault family – a name which probably rings a bell. Bernard Arnault, the founder, is one of the richest people in the world, at the time of publishing this article, he actually was the richest person in the world according to the Forbes ranking. Why did the luxury giant decide to sponsor motorsport? And what are the benefits for F1? Let’s dive into the details of this marriage between luxury and motorsports.
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In October 2024, this decade-deal between the luxury conglomerate and Formula 1 was announced and at first sight, it may raise some eyebrows. Most people associate mainly one brand – Louis Vuitton – and, therefore, one product – bags – with LVMH. But this partnership does make sense. Firstly, LVMH has a diversified product portfolio which not only covers fashion but also spirits, jewellery, retail and watches, for example. The deal with LVMH involves three brands: Louis Vuitton, Moet et Chandon and Tag Heuer. When we think of F1, what comes to mind immediately? The podium and the champagne shower for the winners. Moet et Chandon champagne will replace the previous sponsor Ferrari. After the podium, we probably immediately think of the race start, when the traffic lights go on. And right before that, we can see the clock. Until last season, this clock was supplied by Rolex, now it will be Tag Heuer.
These are two obvious examples but the relationship between luxury and motorsports, especially Formula 1, is not as far off. Formula 1 is among the most prestigious, but also most expensive types of sports there is. It takes a lot of capital to run a Formula 1 team and also to become a Formula 1 driver is a much more capital-intensive career than other types of sports. Remember “Rush” about the competition between Niki Lauda and James Hunt, when Lauda goes into a bank in Vienna to get money for his career? Therefore, there is also some kind of allure around the sports. Some call it elitist, but there is definitely something about Formula 1 which many people aspire too. The iconic Monaco Grand Prix is probably the most obvious example: The rich and famous watch the race from their yachts. The private life of the F1-drivers is as interesting as the one of the big soccer players and sometimes it is this stereotype of drivers dating models which contributes to the myth. Since its modern inception in 1946, Formula 1 has long moved beyond the technical and mechanical dimension, some may regret that. Unfortunately, the focus of the race is often more on the celebrities in the pit lane than about the racing itself. Whether we like this or not, it is a fact that Formula 1 has become part of global culture.
Benefits of This Partnership
LVMH is no newcomer to sports – it has sponsored the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 or other sports like sailing, in an attempt to increase and diversify their target audience. Ultimately, sponsoring sporting events increases brand awareness. Furthermore, as a luxury brand, it is not enough to just sell a product – it is about creating stories and a community, a sense of belonging. Therefore, LVMH not only operates in fashion, but also entertainment, culture and sport. (LVMH also owns their own art museum, the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.) A deal with a prestigious sport like Formula 1 increases LVMH’s reach substantially.
And not only the French conglomerate benefits, this partnership is also a seal of approval for Formula 1 itself. It shows the significance of the sports which has increased in popularity especially over the past five to ten years. F1 has become a cultural phenomenon and the attractiveness in terms of advertising is probably as high as, or maybe higher than other sports like soccer. Formula 1 traditionally started out as a European sport and for a very long time, it was rather eurocentric. But like so many other sports or industries, it has become global – the Middle East not only hosts quite a few races but is also important because of its target audience who is very much into luxury brands, especially cars. Asia is becoming more and more interested in F1 – even outside of Japan where Suzuka has been a cornerstone of the race calendar. The relationship between Formula 1 and North America is not a new one but the American audience traditionally were more interested in formats like NASCAR than in Formula 1. But the sport has conquered America as well and this season, the United States host three races. This global phenomenon is due to big social media campaigns, involvement in eSports and also shows like “Drive to Survive” on Netflix. And just a quick note on the latter: Whether you are a fan of it or not (a lot of “true” F1 fans find it too dramatic and even staged), its impact has been enormous: In 2022, 30% of F1-fans said that the show was the major reason why they started to get into the sport.[2]
For the first Grand Prix of the season, LVMH is also the title partner, making it the “Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix”. Beyond the visuals of a sponsorship, the luxury player will also be involved in key moments – such as with its champagne on the podium. Furthermore, the trophies will be presented in a new way: Louis Vuitton has already been supplying the trophy trunk for the Grand Prix in Monaco since 2021. They have also supplied trunks in other sports, for example for the Australian Open or the FIFA World Cup. These trunks will now be part of every race – not only will they be in the signature Monogram Canvas but also will there be a unique version for every race, for example the colour scheme will be unique and there will be elements of local influences on the aesthetics. The front of the trunk features a “V”, for “victory” with the pattern of the checkered flag.[3]
Historic Links of Fashion and the Automobile
As mentioned previously, trunks and bags are the areas LVMH is probably most known for. And even though it may not seem an obvious match, fashion and Formula 1 actually are no strangers. If we look at the Formula 1 target audience, traditionally, it has been a male-dominated sport. But a lot of the people identifying with the sports are not only interested in cars and the technical perspective, they may be receptive to luxury (Who does not like a Ferrari?) and also fashion. But we can go even further back than that because fashion overall, and Louis Vuitton, in particular have always had a strong link with automobiles. Let’s briefly go on an excursion into fashion history and let’s look at the history of Louis Vuitton itself.[4]
The Louis Vuitton Keepall, one of the brand’s most popular products until today, was developed by Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the grandson of the founder, in the 1930s. It reflects the changes in the travel industry and how they influenced the malletiers, the trunk-makers like Louis Vuitton. As mentioned in the article about the Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas, the trunks of Louis Vuitton and its competitors evolved according to the needs of the travelers. Louis Vuitton’s signature Monogram Canvas, which is, as the name suggests canvas and not leather, is a result of that. When automobiles developed and became more and more accessible, they also heavily impacted the way people travelled. It became more flexible and easier to quickly go on a short trip, mostly over the weekend, hence, the name “weekender bag”. Therefore, a lot of the malletiers also started to either produce trunks for automobiles or also travel bags. The Keepall was designed exactly for these quick trips. Therefore, Louis Vuitton and cars actually have a life-long tradition.[5]
And this bag is not an exception – in the 20th century, cars heavily influenced fashion. When they were open and unheated, special attire was necessary: quasi-unisex overcoats (unfortunately, many automobile clubs were not accessible to women; by the way, so is the Automobile Club de France still is to this day!), cloaks, caps with straps, veils and protective goggles. When motor cars became more enclosed and even heated inside, there was no need for special attire anymore but for decades special attire was necessary when driving a car.[6]
Fashion on the F1 paddock used to be rather functional – after all, it involves mechanical work on cars. Later on, it become a bit more “traditional”, we could even call it “preppy”, as polo shirts became popular. But in recent years, more “interesting” fashion has also conquered the F1 tracks. The most famous example of fashion-forward drivers is probably Sir Lewis Hamilton. Who has not seen the pictures of his – sometimes polarizing – outfits? Even people who are utterly uninterested in Formula 1 have heard about Lewis Hamilton and his style. And I have to say, I like it. It shows that also men can have fun with fashion, that it does not have to be uniform. Hamilton is also interesting when it comes to the LVMH-F1-partnership because he has already been a brand ambassador for an LVMH brand, Dior, since July 2024. He has also designed a capsule collection together with the then-artistic director for menswear Kim Jones. There have been rumours about a potential deal between Hamilton and Bulgari (which is also LVMH-owned), but so far this they have not been confirmed. Outside of the conglomerate he also worked with Valentino or IWC. The latter is owned by LVMH’s competitor Richemont and the partnership ended in December 2024, as Hamilton left the Mercedes team. With his move to Scuderia Ferrari, he partnered with Richard Mille in 2025, the Official Watch Partner of the team. Furthermore, Hamilton has established himself as a personality within the fashion industry – he is a co-chair of this year’s Met Gala, which shows, yet again, how closely the sport and fashion can go hand in hand. And who does not remember the heated discussion between Lewis Hamilton and the FIA if he can wear his jewellery when driving?
Lewis Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2023.
Hamilton is not the only example. Recently Max Verstappen was announced the brand ambassador for Alpha Tauri fashion. This is actually not really surprising as the brand is owned by Red Bull which also owns Verstappen’s team. Previously, Verstappen also partnered with G-star RAW, a Dutch denim brand. The media also love to cover Yuki Tsunoda’s style despite him not having any official fashion or luxury brand deals. Lando Norris, similar to Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton has a deal with Richard Mille and also with the suitcase company TUMI, for example. One interesting partnership is the one between Charles Leclerc and APM Monaco. When you watch closely, Leclerc puts on jewellery in the private room when he waits for the podium. Being Monegasque, the collaboration between the jewellery brand and the driver yet again makes total sense. While jewellery has not been seen that often, we are used to seeing the winners of each race always have their watches waiting together with their caps and a water bottle right at the finish line. It is very likely that we may see more Tag Heuer watches. Needless to say, this will depend on team and driver decisions but it is likely that once LVMH has solidified their standing in F1, it may become harder for the competition.
Tag Heuer actually has a very long tradition in Formula 1: In 1971, Tag Heuer started as the official timekeeper of the McLaren team and this strong bond continues until today, as Tag Heuer is the official watch sponsor of McLaren. I have mentioned previously that Lando Norris has a deal with Richard Mille which may be strange at first sight. But the drivers can have their own partnerships with watchmakers. In addition to their relationship with McLaren, Tag Heuer has sponsored further teams, drivers and events. They have released an F1 limited edition in the 1980s, in addition to their special McLaren edition, for example. Brand ambassadors involved none other than Ayrton Senna (there was a special edition in 2021 as a tribute to him) and Sebastian Vettel.[7]
As mentioned previously, Formula 1 traditionally has been a male-dominated sports. It still is but a lot of things have been changing. Firstly, there are initiatives like the F1 Academy which is owned by the F1-parent company Liberty Media. Its managing director is Susie Wolff, who is a former racing driver herself. This academy promotes not only more female drivers in the sports but also more women in the sports in general which also means in the pit, or in the strategy department. Furthermore, also the female audience has grown. According to a Forbes article citing F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, 40% of global F1 fans were women in 2022, up 8% from 2017.[8]
Even though the partnership may seem random at first sight, the LVMH-F1 deal makes a lot of sense considering a more diversified audience, the development of the sport itself and the historical links between fashion and the automobile. It remains to be seen how this partnership will develop over the coming ten years, as it is likely that LVMH will strengthen its position and bring more of its brands into F1.
Footnotes
[1] The Times 2025.
[2] Forbes 2025.
[3] BrandStrat Substack 2025, Louis Vuitton 2025.
[4] Paris Musées 2024, p. 39.
[5-6] ibid.
[7] Tag Heuer Official Website 2025a and 2025b.
[8] Forbes 2025.
Sources
A Blog to Watch, Recalling TAG Heuer’s History With Formula 1 Upon Its Return As F1’s Official Timekeeper, by David Bredan, published on 6 January 2025, last accessed on 6 March 2025.
BrandStrat Substack, Louis Vuitton X Formula 1: A Game-Changing Partnership for Motorsport. Luxury meets speed as Louis Vuitton becomes the title partner of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix—marking a bold new era for F1, by David Skilling, published on 30 January 2025.
Forbes, Here’s Why Formula 1 Racing Is Growing In Popularity With Women, by Brad Adgate, published on 11 March 2024, last accessed on 6 March 2025.
Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton Trophy Trunks, last accessed on 6 March 2025.
LVMH, Formula 1 and LVMH announce historic 10-year Global Partnership, official press release published on 10 February 2025, last accessed on 6 March 2025.
Paris Musées, Palais Galliera, Mode Sports. Paris. Fashion Sports, exhibition catalog, Paris 2024.
Tag Heuer, Official Timekeeper of Formula 1. Again, last accessed on 6 March 2025.
Tag Heuer, Tribute to Ayrton Senna, last accessed on 6 March 2025.
The Times, F1 gets $1billion cash injection (and champagne’s back on the podium), last accessed on 6 March 2025.
Sources Title Image
LVMH Official Website, Louis Vuitton, Tag Heuer & Moet et Chandon Official Instagram Accounts
Disclaimer
This article is based on the personal, views, experiences and research of the author, no fees were received by the organisations and people mentioned above. All information as of the date of publishing/updating.
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