When Alpine made its Formula 1 comeback in 2021, there was a wave of optimism gushing through the paddock, with the British-based outfit strongly acknowledging its charge to the top in the following couple of years. However, in reality, that wasn’t the case. The 2023 season is already underway and Alpine doesn’t seem fast enough to preserve its ‘best of the rest’ tag. Well, worry no more because Ryan Reynolds has come to the rescue.
BREAKING: Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds is part of an investor group taking a 24% equity stake in Alpine #F1 pic.twitter.com/0K2867UBOg
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 26, 2023
The Deadpool star, also the owner of Wrexham, is now part of the stakeholders in Alpine. Reynolds and his Hollywood colleague, Rob McElhenney will be joining hands with Otro Capital and RedBird Capital to acquire a 24% equity stake in Alpine Racing. Subsequently, the value of the Renault-led outfit has now shot up to a whopping $900M following the $217M investment.
There were some incredible reactions on Twitter to this news, with many anticipating a Wrexham-like success story at Alpine. One fan wrote, “Alpine about to go Wrexham.”
Alpine about to go Wrexham on F1? https://t.co/xMhq0r9hNp
— Chuck Aoki (@Aoki5Chuck) June 26, 2023
We demand an Alpine x Deadpool livery
NOWWWWWWWWWW
— Matt Gallagher (@MattP1Gallagher) June 26, 2023
Deadpool livery when? pic.twitter.com/04iiWRbo83
— Westie (@MrProWestie) June 26, 2023
I did not expect race week to begin with Ryan Reynolds investing in the Alpine F1 team 🤣
— Matt Gallagher (@MattP1Gallagher) June 26, 2023
Ryan Reynolds money moves 🔥 https://t.co/tQgXlW5HIN
— Awongs. (@Mango_IRISH) June 26, 2023
ryan reynolds investing in alpine wasn’t on my bingo card
— el (@sturniolohslot) June 26, 2023
While Reynolds will be leading the way, McElhenney and ‘The Black Panther’ fame Michael B. Jordan will be the co-investors. Now, the question is, how big of an impact can the Canadian-American actor make in Alpine following much-needed investment? Well, Ryan Reynolds is very much capable of inflicting magic in sporting outfits.
How Ryan Reynolds carried Wrexham to glory
Wrexham A.F.C. a Welsh football club, was enduring its worst-ever phase in football history. But, then arrived Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who took over the ownership in the hopes of reviving the team’s glory. Soon after, Wrexham embraced its first biggest recognition since the takeover when FIFA 22 included the outfit in the ‘rest of the world’ category.
What followed was another massive boost to Wrexham’s fame as Reynolds announced docuseries named ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, which made its debut in August 2022 on Hulu in the United States. The results were showing which subsequently impacted the team’s performance on the pitch. Following a makeover, the team looked more solid than ever, well capable of taking on Premier League teams.
Rob McElhenney was in tears watching Wrexham secure promotion and win their first league title in 45 years 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/SPrwvKggEm
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 22, 2023
In 2022-23, Wrexham made it to the fourth round of the FA Cup only to lose against former Premier League challengers, Sheffield United. Regardless, the Welsh outfit went on to secure its first league title in 45 years and subsequently made it to EFL League Two for the first time in 15 years.
What does the $217M investment mean for Alpine in F1
Alpine has been considerably underwhelming so far this season, despite the highly optimistic predictions following the name change in 2021. Hence, Alpine will undoubtedly hope for a turnaround in the future years with the support of investors who have shown promising outcomes in other sports outfits, including Wrexham, Liverpool, AC Milan, and more.
“This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels,” Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said. “Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments, as international players with strong track record in the sports industry, will bring their recognized expertise to boost our media and marketing strategy, essential to support our sporting performance over the long term.
“The incremental revenue generated will in turn be reinvested in the team, in order to further accelerate our Mountain Climber plan, aimed at catching up with top teams in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.”
Overall, Alpine’s ‘Mountain Climber’ plan is still very much alive, as the entire outfit is looking hungrier than ever for success in Formula 1. Hence, amid heavy competition from Red Bull, Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari, can Alpine find a way to claim the much-yearned championship title in the coming years?