Formula 1 (F1), the iconic open-wheel motor racing series, has officially announced a new long-term partnership with French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH.
The 10-year deal, running from 2025 through the end of the 2034 F1 campaign, will see several LVMH brands receive prominent exposure across F1 activities, most notably watch giant Tag Heuer, spirits company Moët Hennessy, and major fashion label Louis Vuitton.
These brands, and more, will activate alongside F1 on what LVMH calls, “hospitality, bespoke activations, limited edition [products], and outstanding content.”
They may additionally receive prominent trackside branding at F1 races, broadcast placement, and potentially through social media and digital channels.
LVMH and F1’s partnership will begin with the start of the 2025 season, which will begin in March with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The sheer variety of LVMH’s brand offerings, which also includes champagne brand Moët and Chandon or the Belmond hotel chain, could bring it dominance over not just one but several sponsorship categories F1 offers.
Meanwhile, Formula 1's global calendar and major popularity among both hardcore motorsport fans and casual viewers (exacerbated by the rampantly successful Netflix series Drive to Survive) has made it a sought-after promotional vehicle for prospective sponsors.
The series has long courted a strong influence in the high fashion and luxury goods industries thanks in part to its wealthy status, and similarly wealthy fanbase.
Although LVMH has not released any details about the partnership, rumors in September from US publication Bloomberg suggested that the deal could be worth as much as $150 million per year.
Tag Heuer’s position in the partnership is of special importance given that it likely spells the end for rival brand Rolex’s involvement in the series.
Rolex alone currently pays an estimated $52.5 million per year to sponsor F1 and has agreements with individual teams, locales, and races alongside this.
Tag Heuer is already a sponsor of F1’s Red Bull Racing team and has a strong presence across motorsport, including as a partner of the Formula E series which is now majority-owned by F1 owner Liberty Global.
LVMH is no stranger to sports sponsorship, having stepped in as a major commercial partner of the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games in a deal that covered its Chaumet watch company, its spirits brand Moët Hennessy, and its “maison” luxury fashion houses.
F1 often stages races in France, and while the French GP is not a permanent fixture on the sport’s calendar and is not set to feature in 2025, the Monaco Grand Prix in the neighboring principality is an iconic and annual fixture.
