There was a very simple reason why Renault decided to badge their Formula 1 works team as Alpine for 2021. To get more exposure and name recognition for the arm of its operation, it was decided that 'Team Enstone' would undergo yet another rebranding, coupled with the return of Fernando Alonso. It was the perfect time to do it just as Grand Prix racing began the explosive surge in popularity around the globe, finally cracking the American enigma that had frustrated the championship since the very beginning. Therefore then, it's perhaps about time that some Hollywood A-Listers thought to themselves: 'Yes, I want a bit of that,' with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney the first to bite as part of a consortium that has brought in 24% of the team for a handy $200 million. Quick maths shows it values Alpine at about the $900 million mark, which is a tidy sum, and if Reynolds and McElhenney can replicate what they have done to small football team, the boost to Alpine could go through the roof.
Welcome to Enstone?
In November 2020, the Hollywood duo took control of Wrexham AFC, a team in non-league football in England in the fifth division known as the National League, four leagues below the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United in the Premier League. Wrexham was a football club slowly dying after years of underinvestment whose heyday came in 1992, defeating league champions Arsenal in the FA Cup, but Reynolds and McElhenney revitalised the local community and helped steer Wrexham back into the Football League for next season by winning the title. Now, it should be said that one major difference is that with Wrexham, the duo are in complete control whereas at Alpine it is only a minor shareholding but the star power they can unlock is massive. Take Twitter numbers for a start. Alpine have 2.1 million, Mercedes 4.7, Red Bull 4.4, Ferrari 4.5 and McLaren, perhaps Alpine's most direct competitor, 3.7. McLaren are also hugely present in the US market with the IndyCar squad and CEO Zak Brown hailing from California whereas Alpine's footprint is rather small. The other big teams have superstar drivers such as Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen and are fighting for titles. In other words, in a big pond, Alpine are somewhat a small fish trying to muscle in. But then take a look at Wrexham's figures. They have around half a million followers on Twitter - for a team now in League Two - that is an astonishing reach. Other teams such as Accrington Stanley, Barrow and Crewe Alexandra are nowhere near tipping 100k. None of those teams also had a documentary film crew detailing the behind-the-scenes goings on to be broadcast on Disney+, Welcome to Wrexham. In the past five years, Google searches for Wrexham have gone through the roof, mainly from the US.
The boost Alpine need
On a typical Grand Prix weekend, the RacingNews365 analytics often show fans are interested in the drivers and figures you might expect. The Hamiltons, Verstappens, Alonsos, Leclercs, Mercedes' or Red Bull's of the F1 world usually pull in the huge numbers as the fan favourites but a ' Welcome to Enstone' type series would not be the worst idea possible. Sell it as Reynolds and McElhenney buying into a Formula 1 team, a fast-paced trailer with shots of Ocon winning the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix coupled with the low of both drivers colliding in Australia earlier this year. Introduce a nation of 350 million people to Ocon and Gasly and all at the good ship Enstone, stick it on Disney, and et voilà! If Drive to Survive has taught sport anything, it is that there is a yearning for the behind-the-scenes access, and it is a winner. Why else would Golf, Tennis and Cycling all produce their own versions? Renault and now Alpine toiled away in the midfield for years, often with scant reward as they either missed targets or saw rival squads make bigger leaps forward. What Reynolds and McElhenney can bring in terms of technical expertise on ground effects and how the floor edges affect airflow to the rear diffuser is probably limited. But what they can bring is a platform to help Alpine build itself up and become a new destination for sponsors wanting to associate themselves with F1. It would be amiss of all involved not to and one hell of a wasted opportunity.
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