Fast company: Louis Vuitton makes its mark on Formula One

From trackside to podium, the brand's trophy trunks and branding evolution mirror the sport's own transformation

Louis Vuitton has joined the ranks of Formula One's major sponsors, showcasing a rare tweak to the maison's branding. Photo: Louis Vuitton

Going to a Formula One race never gets old. However many circuits you’ve visited, there’s an electricity at race weekend you can’t find anywhere else. The air is thick with anticipation and burning rubber – and if you’re lucky enough to be in the Paddock Club, expensive perfumes too.

In April, I was in Bahrain for the fourth Grand Prix of the season, part of a press pack invited by Louis Vuitton. In the hospitality area, Steven Gerrard sat nearby, while superstar DJ Peggy Gou wafted in, trailed by what must be the world’s most glamorous entourage.

Entertainment is always a big part of the experience, and we have a lot to look forward to in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season, with Metallica, Benson Boone and Katy Perry already set to perform.

Drivers race past the new Louis Vuitton signage at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit. Photo: Louis Vuitton

In Bahrain, I experienced a series of once-in-a-lifetime moments – from sitting on the pit wall like aspiring team principals, to touring every corner and straight of the island country's track, the first Formula One circuit built in the Middle East two decades ago. According to Emirati FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem, it “paved the way” for other Gulf countries to follow in Formula One.

I also got up close with Louis Vuitton’s latest Trophy Trunk, its fifth specially crafted piece of the season. Handmade in the maison’s Asnieres atelier, and adorned with its monogram canvas and a bold “V” for both Victory and Vuitton, the trunk nods to the host country as well as the Middle East’s role in global motorsport.

Louis Vuitton’s automotive legacy dates back to 1897, when Georges Vuitton created trunks for the new era of cars, inventing the durable “Vuittonite” to withstand life on the road.

Louis Vuitton is making a custom trophy trunk for every race this season. Photo: Louis Vuitton

This year, Louis Vuitton also introduced a revamped, race-ready logo, which was prominently displayed on Bahrain’s trackside signage. Brand refreshes are risky, but this one – a kinetic go-fast twist on tradition – looked striking amid the sponsor-heavy circuit.

It’s a clever blend of heritage and futurism that I hope finds its way into the maison’s wider aesthetic.

Louis Vuitton’s relationship with Formula One started with its Trophy Trunk for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2021. It is now the third LVMH brand to sponsor F1, a smart move in a sport with more than 800 million fans worldwide, thanks to cultural phenomena such as Drive to Survive.

Even fictional teams such as APX GP in the forthcoming AppleTV+ film F1 attract real-world sponsors. Photo: AppleTV+

Sponsorship here is serious business: Red Bull alone has about 40 partners, and Formula One itself is a branding gold mine. Luxury brands have long understood F1’s cultural pull.

In the 1980s, Tag Heuer’s aggressive placement on McLaren cars made it a household name, while Hugo Boss tailored racing suits for Ayrton Senna’s team. More recently, Tommy Hilfiger, Richard Mille and Off-White have become involved. Even the fictional APX GP team in the upcoming AppleTV+ F1 movie have recognised Formula One as a platform that transcends sport – and scored an enviable number of real-world sponsors in the process.

At the 21st Bahrain Grand Prix, on a circuit that is known for its dusk-lit drama and technical challenges, Oscar Piastri triumphed. Everyone in the paddock and pit lane rushed to the stage as the trophy ceremony began.

A triumphant Oscar Piastri walks past his trophy to the podium in Bahrain. Photo: Louis Vuitton

I’ve watched moments like this on TV since the 1990s, dreaming as a kid of heroes such as Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill. I never imagined I’d stand this close to this generation’s heroes.

As Piastri, Norris and Russell made their way to the podium, my eyes drifted to the trunk cradling the trophy, emblazoned with the tagline: “Victory Travels in Louis Vuitton”. As far as messaging goes, it’s hard to imagine anything more powerful in one of the world’s most high-stakes spectacles.