Rory McIlroy, Anthony Joshua and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among the leading names to join the investment group that recently bought into the Alpine Formula 1 team.
In June, US investment group Otro Capital announced a €200 million (£164m) strategic investment into the Alpine Formula 1 Team, which is based in the UK, securing a 24% equity stake in return.
At that stage, Otro had already recruited some high-profiles name to complement the investment, with Hollywood actors and Wrexham AFC co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney already named as part of the group through their own investment fund, Maximum Effort Investments.
Now, Otro Capital has unveiled further A-list to come on board. As well as British stars McIlroy, Joshua, and Alexander-Arnold, American footballers Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and World Cup-winning Spanish footballer Juan Mata have joined the group.
An Otro Capital statement read, ‘The addition of these championship winning international athletes and sports investors will bolster Otro Capital’s strategic partnership with Alpine F1, combining premium expertise across different areas of the sports ecosystem and driving Alpine F1’s reach to a world of new fans.
‘The new investors will help drive global awareness for Alpine F1 and will further complement Otro Capital’s contributions in areas such as media, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, commercial rights management, licensing and merchandising.’
Although majority owned by Renault, the French manufacturer’s Oxfordshire-based team have run under the name of its sports car brand Alpine since 2021.
Alpine had a disappointing 2023 season but have improved since and currently sit sixth in Formula 1’s Constructor’s Championship.
“The heritage of the team, mixed with the global growth of Formula 1 as a sport and brand made this a very serious proposition.“
ANTHONY JOSHUA
Rory McIlroy, commented, “Passion for excellence on the golf course has led me to admire the same pursuit in Formula 1. Partnering with Otro Capital in Alpine F1 is an exhilarating venture that unites my love for sports, competition, and the relentless drive to be the best.”
Anthony Joshua, said, “The chance to strategically invest with Otro Capital in Alpine was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. The heritage of the team, mixed with the global growth of Formula 1 as a sport and brand made this a very serious proposition. I am excited to start this journey with Otro and a great group of fellow investors and hope to help the team achieve its full potential.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold, added, “I’m excited to be joining Otro Capital’s group as an investor into Alpine F1 along with my brother Tyler. Having been to Formula 1 races as a fan, I love the high-pressure environment of the paddock and I’ve seen firsthand how incredibly impressive the Alpine team is. Our shared goal as an investment group is to help contribute to its continued success on the grid, at a time when F1 is facing incredible growth as a sport. As a footballer, I understand the importance of teamwork, innovation and determination in achieving goals.”
The latest news follows a recent trend of athletes investing into various sports. In August, Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad were named are among the prominent athletes involved in the launch of a new venture capital fund, The Players Fund.
STOKES AND BROAD TO DELIVER INVESTMENT FUND
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