Anthony Joshua and Rory McIlroy in line for big payday as 'F1 team sale talks start'
An investment company which brought a swathe of sporting stars to Formula 1 as part-owners of the Alpine team is reportedly considering selling its minority stake
An investment firm that brought a host of sporting celebrities to Formula 1 as part-owners of the Alpine team is reportedly mulling over flogging its stake. Otro Capital formed part of a consortium that snapped up nearly a quarter of the Enstone-based outfit in 2023.
Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who famously own Wrexham AFC, also grabbed a slice of that 24 per cent shareholding in the team via their own firm, Maximum Effort Investments. However, they were not the sole big names bringing celebrity clout to the ownership structure, as Otro arrived with some star investors of their own.
The investment included former world No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy and two-time heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua. Two football players, Juan Mata and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are also involved, as are three-time Super Bowl champions Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Yet this collection of A-list investors may not remain part of the ownership structure for the long haul. According to Sports Business Journal, Otro Capital has conducted "preliminary discussions about selling its stake" in the Alpine squad.
The team was worth approximately £685million when they invested two years ago. F1 continues to surge in popularity globally, leading to a significant increase in team valuations.
Notably, Red Bull Racing reportedly turned down an offer of approximately £1.75billion for its junior squad, Racing Bulls. Another mid-field team, Haas, is said to have rejected several 10-figure offers this year.
If Otro decided to cash in, they would likely make a substantial profit on their share of the consortium's £165million investment made in the summer of 2023. However, the report suggests that discussions regarding a sale "are not believed to be at an advanced stage".
It remains unclear whether Reynolds and McElhenney, or RedBird Capital Partners, who are also part of the consortium, are considering selling. Alpine currently sits at the bottom of the constructors' championship, having scored only 20 points all season.
That is just one-third of the total achieved by Sauber, the team directly above them in the standings. Their lacklustre performance this year can be partly down to a decision not to develop their car and instead concentrate all their resources on the 2026 season.
Next season, they will also race with new Mercedes power units. The current underpowered Renault engines lag behind those of their competitors.
Alpine have yet to announce its 2026 driver line-up. Pierre Gasly will be one of them, having signed a contract extension earlier this year.
Franco Colapinto's future, meanwhile, remains uncertain after failing to score a point so far in 2025. However, there are rumours that the Argentine driver may stay and an announcement could come before next weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.
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