Lacoste takes its place on Formula 1’s fashion grid with new ambassador Pierre Gasly

Lacoste and French athletes share a long-standing love affair. Already established in golf and tennis, the brand had never turned its attention to a Formula 1 driver before Pierre Gasly. It now takes its place on the starting grid of a high-octane, elite sport with its new face, the Alpine driver currently sitting seventh in the championship.

Pierre Gasly will, in particular, personify the polo shirt, a staple of the French brand. “Pierre Gasly perfectly embodies the spirit of performance and tenacity that has driven Lacoste since its creation. His international career, his high standards and his affinity with disciplines such as tennis and golf resonate strongly with our world. We are delighted to welcome him as one of our ambassadors, and to open a new chapter with him,” says Eric Vallat, CEO of Lacoste.

In Formula 1, several levels of partnership

“Lacoste is an iconic French house that has managed to transform its sporting heritage into a highly contemporary vision of style. The polo shirt is perhaps the strongest expression of this: a piece born on the tennis courts that has become a symbol of natural elegance. I’m very happy to be one of its faces today, and eager to bring this relationship to life through other projects in the months ahead,” says Pierre Gasly. The athlete also became a Reebok ambassador last September, and announced a collaboration with cycling brand Van Rysel a few months earlier.

For Lacoste, this appointment signals its arrival in the fiercely contested arena of Formula 1, where partnerships and sponsorships are multi-layered. At championship level, Louis Vuitton handles luggage and trophies, while Puma supplies licensed apparel and footwear. Brands can then collaborate with the ten teams on the grid. Puma kits out Ferrari, Mercedes (currently in transition), Williams, McLaren, and Aston Martin, while Adidas supplies Mercedes and Audi (a new team). The brands Boss and Hugo are partners of Aston Martin and Visa Cash App RB (formerly AlphaTauri) respectively. Finally, Castore outfits Red Bull Racing, McLaren and Alpine, and Tommy Hilfiger outfits Mercedes.

The final level of partnership lies in the appointment of ambassadors. While Pierre Gasly now sports the Lacoste crocodile alongside Berluti and Givenchy fragrances, Lewis Hamilton sits in the luxury camp with Dior Homme, in sportswear with Tommy Hilfiger and Lululemon, and in luxury travel with Rimowa. For his part, Charles Leclerc is an ambassador for APM Monaco, Puma, and Ray-Ban, while Lando Norris champions the functional elegance of Tumi luggage (Samsonite group) and Ralph Lauren fragrances.

Lacoste is thus entering a sporting world that manages to mobilise fashion players as few others can. This move is just one among many on the chessboard of its plan to reach 4 billion euros in revenue by 2030, while its annual sales totalled 2.8 billion euros in 2024.