Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney now own part of a Formula 1 team despite not paying a penny for the privilege.
The American duo have long been global household names. Reynolds is a Hollywood veteran as the star of blockbuster movies such as Deadpool and The Proposal, while McElhenney rose to fame for his role in sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Their success has also translated into the sporting world. In November 2020, they became co-owners of Wrexham AFC, then playing in the National League.
Their investment has helped the north Wales club to reach the EFL. And the club has become a huge commercial success off the pitch, gaining an army of global fans thanks to the massive reach of their owners.
And that is exactly what the Alpine F1 team is hoping will happen to it as well. Reynolds and McElhenney were part of an American consortium which, last month, bought a 24 per cent stake in the team, owned by French carmaker Renault.
They joined US investment firms Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners in making the purchase. And, according to the Mail on Sunday, did not have to put any of their own money into the pot.
Instead, those aforementioned investment firms stumped up the cash. Reynolds and McElhenney, the report claims, were invited to be a part of the consortium for their fame and marketing prowess.
The money pumped in by Otro and RedBird may help the team push to great heights on the race track. And, off it, Maximum Effort Investments – the company co-owned by Reynolds, McElhenney and fellow Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan – get a reported stake of between two and three per cent for their work in promoting the team.
The 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary was a huge success and played a major role in helping the football club to amass a new army of global fans. They could try a similar method to help advertise the Alpine brand to the masses.
It is not yet known when Reynolds and McElhenney will make their first appearance at an F1 race since their purchase. When asked that very question in Austria last weekend, Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer replied: "That's a good question. Let's guess Silverstone – If I'm wrong, I'll guess another race!"
