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F1 pundit claims teams will follow rival with new major investment strategy

One F1 team in particular may have paved the way for others to follow

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 28 December 2023 13:57

Sky Sports Formula 1 pundit David Croft believes that other teams will follow Alpine's strategy of attracting A-list celebrities as investors.

Earlier this year, Alpine confirmed that they had finalised a €200million deal with US investors Otro Capital, securing a significant 24 per cent ownership stake in the team.

Alpine now boast a mouth-watering list of investors that include the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Rory McIlroy, Anthony Joshua, Trent Alexander-Arnold Juan Mata, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.

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And according to Sky Sports' much-loved commentator 'Crofty', this new model will be a template to be used by other teams.

Alpine F1 Team completed a 200 million euro sale to US investors

Ryan Reynolds and Robert McElhenney are part of the Alpine project

Croft: Alpine F1 investment the way to go

“The investment from the Hollywood A-listers and the sporting superstars,” Croft began as he shared his thoughts on the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel.

“It’s not just about big names being associated with the team, with that brings opportunities to explore avenues in other sports and in other high-profile industries.

“If you use it correctly, you make contacts and you bring people into the team that you might not have thought about in the first place, but might actually be the right people to do it.

“We’ve seen Alpine do it, I think we’ll see other teams – I hate to use the phrase ‘Getting into bed with’ – but partnering with sporting entities or investment companies that own other sporting groups and giants.”

Pierre Gasly will have plenty of famous faces to celebrate with next seaso

“Formula 1 cannot operate on an island,” he continued. “If it wants to be successful in the future, you have to go and seek out where the new coaching methods are, the new ways of running business, the new way of economies of scale to bring performance in.

“We can learn from other sports in doing that and I think you will see other teams doing that more and more in the future.”

Alpine Sky Sports David Croft Hollywood