Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are delighted with Ryan Reynolds’ investment in Alpine

At the beginning of the week, it was announced that Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds was part of a group of American investors who had decided to invest around 200 million euros to acquire a 24% stake in the Alpine racing team.

The agreement provides for French automaker Renault and its sports car division Alpine to sell a stake in Alpine Racing to a group of investors led by Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Investments.

This news delights the drivers of the French team, to say the least. In an interview with the press on Thursday, Esteban Ocon expressed his enthusiasm and stated that he had the chance to chat with Ryan Reynolds on Tuesday. “We exchanged a few WhatsApp messages. He told me that I was obviously invited to the film set of Deadpool in London, so I am going. He also mentioned that he was very eager to learn about our world, to see how things work, and to have a discussion about racing altogether.”

The driver is a big fan of comics and Marvel in general, and admires the actor’s talent as a businessman. He is even building a friendly relationship with one of his idols, much to his delight. On Tuesday, I took the liberty of sending Ryan a little photo to let him know I’m live from the simulator, here’s the view. And yes, he appreciated it, Esteban Ocon confirms.

His teammate is also a big fan of the American actor. “I think he’s one of my favorite actors. And yes, I am really excited about the possibility of meeting him at some point during the season,” Pierre Gasly slipped in during a press conference on Thursday.

Investors who contribute to the building

If the two French are particularly happy with the arrival of Ryan Reynolds, Esteban Ocon emphasizes that all investors will bring their expertise to the team, which shows, according to him, Alpine’s dedication to moving forward on all fronts.

One of the advantages of this agreement is that it is primarily a cash injection. Esteban Ocon knows very well where this money should be spent. “I won’t go into details, but we know where the money should go and it will help us. You know, infrastructures and things that I will use a lot.”

He hopes that this investment will bring the team to fight for podiums and victories as quickly as possible. “I am not here to waste time. When we were third in Monaco, we did not let Ferrari pass us because we thought they were ahead of us. We want to fight for these positions as quickly as possible,” he concludes.