Zinedine Zidane signs for Alpine in F1 launch stunner

Zinedine Zidane is the new ambassador of the Alpine F1 team — Photo: © LAT Images

Launch Season

Zinedine Zidane signs for Alpine in F1 launch stunner

French soccer icon joins the team as an ambassador.

Stuart Hodge

Friday 17 February 2023 10:03 Updated: 12:53

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Alpine almost stole the F1 launch season show right at the death on Thursday by unveiling a huge new signing in the shape of soccer icon Zinedine Zidane.

Who better to become ambassador for a French motorsport brand than a French World Cup winner, but it is fair to say nobody was expecting this.

F1 Twitter almost broke when the mercurial Zizou was announced onto stage at the climax of the glitzy London event to launch the A523 car. Talk about saving the best until last...

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Meet @AlpineF1Team's newest ambassador....?

French footballing legend Zinedine Zidane! ?⚽️#F1 pic.twitter.com/o4iuAhs9Xe
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 16, 2023

Zidane signing a major coup for Alpine boss

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi could hardly contain his excitement at the coup as he gushed about the man who has claimed every top prize in football as a player and coach.

He told the assembled guests at London's Printworks: "I'm immensely proud to welcome another guest, and what a guest.

"We have someone who's a sporting icon, who's bigger than his sport, bigger than life almost. Someone who's going to drive positive change throughout the entire Alpine organisation.

"He will be an ambassador, he will help us think about our corporate social responsibility in general, think about strengthening the equal opportunities in particular in motorsport and the car industry.

Pretty in pink ?

What a way to round out launch season! pic.twitter.com/abJixkQGcB
— GPFans Global (@GPFansGlobal) February 16, 2023

"He's going to bring his his incredibly successful expertise at the service of our talent, his desire to win that is unquestionable."

Zidane himself told the audience: "I'm very happy to spend a great evening with you, to see such great things. I'm ever so happy to be a part of this team."