Earlier this week news about a Ryan Reynolds-backed consortium buying 24% of Alpine’s shares came up. The total value of this investment is estimated to be around $217,000,000 and team boss Laurent Rossi revealed something interesting about this takeover. As per Rossi, this won’t affect the sporting side of things whatsoever, meaning, the fortunes of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon on the track will remain unchanged. But where will this money actually go?
The name Alpine made its debut in F1 back in 2021. Renault, which was once a force to reckon with in the sport, decided to use the Alpine name to promote its sports car division. However, for the entirety of their time so far, they have been stuck in the midfield. Alpine’s aim has always been to return to the front of the grid. However, as things stand, they aren’t anywhere close to bridging the gap to the front-runners.
Currently, Alpine is fifth in the constructors’ championship standings, with 44 points to their name. Red Bull, Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari are all ahead of them. It seems as though they have to settle for P5 this season, which would make them the ‘best of the rest’. The recent cash injection led by Reynolds gave fans some hope that things will improve in the short run, but as Rossi revealed, the $217,000,000 won’t be used in the sporting side of things.
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon won’t benefit from the money Ryan Reynolds invested
As reported by Planet F1, Rossi claims that the money from the latest investment will be used for affairs away from the track. He insists that the people at their factory in Enstone are making progress regardless. Therefore, the money won’t help Alpine bolster its on-track performance in the near future.
“They’re going to help us on the monetization side of the business,” he said. “So strictly speaking not on the sports side. Obviously, people here know what they’re doing. People in Viry-Châtillon know what they’re doing. They’re going to continue doing what they’re doing.”
Rossi went on to say that Reynolds and his consortium putting in money was strictly because they wanted their revenue to increase. Hospitality, sponsorships, licensing, and merchandizing are a few things they expect returns out of.
Where do Gasly and Ocon stand at the moment?
Alpine’s 2023 season has been underwhelming for the most part. They are having a quiet campaign, with their only highlight coming in the form of Ocon’s P3 finish in Monaco last month. They are much faster than the backmarkers, but not good enough to close the gap to the top four teams.
Currently, Alpine is 27 points ahead of McLaren. It seems as though the only battle they can be a part of this season is one with the Surrey-based team.
In the drivers’ standings. Esteban Ocon is P9 with 29 points to his name. Gasly meanwhile is one place behind him in tenth, with 15 points.
