“It Was a Dead End”: After Wrexham Owner Ryan Reynolds’ $218,000,000 Investment, Renault CEO Reflects on the Massive Turnaround for a Dying Company

Do you recall Force India’s struggles right before the team went bankrupt? Lawrence Stroll saved the team like a knight in shining armor. Similarly, Ryan Reynolds and Co. took over Wrexham and the team is flying high now. The Renault CEO also reflects on the massive turnaround made by his team as Ryan Reynolds invested $218 Million in the Alpine F1 team. What was this turnaround?

Alpine recently invited new investors onboard. The French Team which was rebranded to Alpine for the 2021 season raised around $218 Million. A 24% stake was bought by Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments putting the value of the team around the Billion dollar mark. Ryan Reynolds is a key figure for the Maximum Effort Investment and has been in the news for his F1 investment. Who would’ve imagined prior to the DTS era that F1 teams would touch such high ceilings? 

Nonetheless, the French team has shown significant improvements over the years. Not only in terms of performance but also financially. F1 is the fastest-growing sport for a reason. However, Renault’s CEO explained how for many teams F1 is just a cost that helps with Marketing and Advertising. And same was the case with Alpine until it actually became an asset worth a Billion Dollars now. 

According to the VF1 show by VF and Vincenzo podcast, the host quotes Luca de Mayo and said “One quote that I saw was from Renault Group CEO Luca De Meo and he said ‘Alpine is for me something absolutely special. 2 years ago, it was a dead end. F1 was not considered an asset but a cost. A mere line in the marketing budget and in only 2 years everything changed.’”

Alpine is slowly but surely making progress in F1. The team finished P4 in constructors last year. This year’s start wasn’t ideal but the team has made up huge ground since the start and looks like the best team in the midfield. The Renault CEO further advised how the partnership will help the team.

Read More: “Attractive Sport to Invest In” – After Wrexham Owner Ryan Reynolds’ Alpine Investment, $10 Million F1 Voice Highlights the ‘Boom’ in the Sport

Ryan Renold’s Partnership to ‘Accelerate Alpine F1 Development’

Aston Martin needed a huge cash influx to reach where they are right now. This doesn’t mean that one cannot do it without the influx, but it surely does become easier. The newly raised $218 Million will surely help with the Financial side of things. Also, the valuable input from the new investors will give better insights. Luca De Mayo explains how reaching the Top is the ultimate and that the new partnership will help with the same.

According to Formula1.com, Luca De Mayo said “Formula 1 and Alpine are strategic assets for Renault Group. Over the past two years, we have re-ignited Alpine, capitalizing on its iconic A110 sports coupe, boosting it by entering Formula 1, where it aims to become a championship contender. This partnership will accelerate Alpine F1 development by diversifying revenue drivers and increasing brand value.”

What did you make you the 180° turn taken by Alpine that changed their fortunes?

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