Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds, Investment Group acquire 24% stake in Alpine F1 team

Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds and a group of investors acquired a 24% stake in the Alpine Formula 1 team to the tune of €200m (around R4.069 billion).

The cash injection from Investor Group, formed of Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments, will help the F1 team improve its performance in the sport and build towards getting the French outfit to the front of the grid come 2026.

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said: "This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels.

"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."

Reynolds is no stranger to the world of sport, having taken over the Wrexham Football Club in November 2020 with friend and partner Rob McElhenney.

Alpine's struggles

The investment is an important one for the Alpine team. Having finished the 2022 season fourth in the Constructors' standings, the team is in a lonely fifth as the '23 season nears its halfway mark.

With drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly leading the charge, Alpine has had more downs than ups in what is turning out to be a trying season.

Trailing Ferrari by 78 points and sitting 27 points ahead of McLaren, Alpine's best chance for 2023 will be to hold onto the position and secure the financial incentives that come with finishing fifth rather than sixth.

But with the 2026 regulations set to level the playing field again, Alpine wants to ensure that it is primed for maximum attack, and the investment will undoubtedly help in achieving that goal.

"F1 and Alpine are strategic assets for Renault Group," said Renault Group CEO Luca