We foresee a massive uptick in interest for Alpine ahead of its stateside arrival.
As confirmed by Formula 1 and Alpine Racing Limited, the company behind the French sports car brand's F1 team, Alpine F1 has secured investments from Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, and Michael B. Jordan. Alongside Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners, Reynolds' Maximum Effort Investments outfit will facilitate a 24% equity stake in a deal worth €200 million (approximately $218 million).
This seems like a fantastic deal for both parties. Alpine will benefit from the marketing and social media reach of its high-profile equity holders, and those investors should see solid returns over the next few years. While the F1 team and the road car division are not directly related, the roadgoing side's push into the US market will soon boost the visibility of the F1 team, thereby increasing its value. In fact, this news has already pushed Alpine's value north of $900 million.
Today, Renault Group and Alpine announce the sale of a 24% stake in Alpine Racing Ltd to a strategic investor group.
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— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) June 26, 2023
“This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels,” said Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, who explained that the increased marketing value of the team will contribute to improved sporting performance. Basically, a famous face will help Alpine attract yet more investment and sponsorship, and that will help the team develop better racers.
The relatively small increase in revenue that these partnerships will generate will “be reinvested in the team, in order to further accelerate […] catching up with top teams in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.”
We expect to see Ryan Reynolds' face all over Alpine's social media in the coming years, and he'll probably be present at a number of races, too, helping boost the sport's popularity even further.
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
Reynolds appears to be a prudent investor, having sold his Aviation American Gin brand for over $600 million in 2020 after he put the name in the American public's consciousness with witty, self-deprecating commercials and social media posts. Since then, he and McElhenney have helped a little-known Welsh soccer club called Wrexham FC to achieve global fame using similar tactics, and their investments in the club have helped the club achieve promotion to the fourth tier of English soccer. Clearly, star power works and Alpine should benefit in a big way.
The French brand will no longer be known only as a niche automaker that produces a rival to the likes of the Porsche 718 Cayman. Instead, it will be seen as a boutique brand that has the support of some of Hollywood's most adored stars. The groundwork is there – now Alpine needs to make good on its ambition of fighting for world championships by 2026.
Keyword: Ryan Reynolds And Michael B. Jordan Just Bought (Part Of) An F1 Team