Image shows a Formula 1 car.

Fiona Mansell

A new, star-studded group of F1 Alpine investors, including Rory McIlroy and Anthony Joshua, were announced on October 17.

This was a first in Formula 1, leaving many fans confused and wondering why these famous faces were involved in the sport.

What is Alpine?

Although Alpine are a new name to Formula 1, they have a deep history with the sport. Formerly known as Renault, a rebrand in 2021 saw a new name and a new look for the French team. Their current drivers are Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.

How did the new investors get involved?

Celebrities got involved in the team through an investor group formed by Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort. They invested £200 million, acquiring a 24% stake in the F1 team. This estimated the team’s value to be around £900 million.

Fans may remember hearing that Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were investing in Alpine in June — this is because they are the heads of Maximum Effort Investments. As a result, they are now part of the team’s investor group, alongside Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan.

Many people are familiar with Reynolds and McElhenney’s work with the Welsh football team, since their notable investment in November 2020. They have grown the club’s success on and off the pitch, which they now aim to apply to the Alpine team.

Who are the new F1 Alpine investors?

Anthony Joshua

Former World Heavyweight Champion and Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua is an infamous British boxer. He is one of the most recognisable faces when it comes to boxing, with an impressive career under his belt.

“Sports is changing, we’re crossing over.”

The 34-year-old has already been seen around the paddock, making a recent appearance on Martin Brundle’s US Grand Prix grid walk. Joshua spoke to the former F1 driver turned presenter, sharing that he wanted Alpine to have “direct committed supporters” to raise awareness around the team. “Sports is changing, we’re crossing over,” he said.

Rory McIlroy

With over 37 professional wins, Rory McIlroy is ranked the second-best golfer in the world. The Northern Irish sportsman has become another familiar face in the Alpine garage. He has always been an F1 fan, telling Sky Sports: “It was not something I envisioned myself doing but I had this opportunity to invest with a bunch of other really cool people and sports stars.”

Juan Mata

Juan Mata is a Spanish football star who helped his home country win the World Cup in 2010. He has played for clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United and is currently a midfielder for Japanese club Viessel Kobe.

Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is an American football star, who became the youngest player to win both a league MVP and a Super Bowl title. He is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, with two NFL Super Bowl titles at just 27 years old.

Travis Kelce

Another Kansas City Chiefs player has also joined the group of new F1 Alpine investors, in the form of Travis Kelce. He is the team’s tight end and has played 11 seasons with the Chiefs. The 34-year-old also has two NFL Super Bowl titles.

Kelce was recently the centre of media attention, after announcing his relationship with pop sensation Taylor Swift.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The Liverpool FC defender has also joined Alpine. Alexander-Arnold rewrote the history books when he became the youngest player to win all six major trophies at an English club.

These achievements include the FA Cup and the Premier League Cup, all at the tender age of 23. Now 25 years old, Alexander-Arnold still plays for Liverpool but is now branching out into the world of Formula 1.

Why have they invested in Alpine?

This is definitely a new move for any Formula 1 team. Not only does this mean more money for the team for essential upgrades and testing, but it also means more support. Joshua previously explained that sport is changing and expressed his hope to gain more supporters for Alpine. The boxer also said he would help with reaction times and training in general, whilst McIlroy has been teaching drivers to play golf.

“This was a smart and unique move for the Formula 1 team.”

This was a clever marketing move. Getting other sporting legends involved in the team has allowed Alpine to step into the limelight and capture attention. They also regularly post content on their socials, linking the sporting celebrities with the team. Joshua and McIlroy’s involvement has got a lot of fans excited.

This was a smart and unique move for the Formula 1 team. Clearly inspired by the success of Hollywood-owned Wrexham FC, it will be interesting to see how Alpine develop the presence of their celebrity investors. Moving forward, we could potentially see more famous faces getting involved and invested in the team. It will be interesting to watch this special relationship develop further in the next season.

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Featured image courtesy of Xavier Rondón Medina via Flickr. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.

Fiona is now undergoing a master's degree in 'Visual Journalism' in Cardiff after recently graduating with first-class honours in 'Performance and Media.' Most of her writing focuses on her passion for motorsport.

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