Ryan Reynolds influence rubs off as Pierre Gasly announces new business deal
Pierre Gasly has followed Alpine investor Ryan Reynolds' lead by investing in a football club
Alpine F1 driver Pierre Gasly has expanded his business empire by investing in French football club FC Versailles.
Gasly has emerged as one of the most popular drivers in F1 since arriving on the grid with Red Bull’s junior team in 2017, claiming an emotional victory for the Faenza-based outfit at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Alpine F1 star Pierre Gasly buys into football club
The Rouen-born star, who has represented the Renault-owned Alpine team since the beginning of 2023, is known to be a passionate football supporter and is often seen in the F1 paddock sporting the shirts of French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Gasly has taken his first steps into football club ownership by becoming a joint shareholder of FC Versailles – who currently sit 10th in the French third division – alongside current chairman Alexandre Mulliez, the heir to the Auchan empire, and Fabien Lazare.
Although Gasly – who was introduced to Mulliez through mutual acquaintances – has not revealed the percentage of his shareholding, it is believed to be significant.
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In a club statement, Gasly said: “I’m delighted to be joining FC Versailles, as I’ve always wanted to get involved in professional soccer.
“Alexandre and Fabien and I share the same values, ambition and competitive spirit, which will enable us to help the club evolve positively.
“This is the start of a wonderful story. Allez Versailles!”
Mulliez added: “We were looking for a top-level French athlete who shared our values, to raise our profile in France and internationally, and improve our performance and marginal gains.
“We had ticked off a list of around 10 names. But we didn’t need to go any further. Right from our first meeting, Pierre and I hit it off.
“He’s going to bring us his knowledge of the very highest level, and his humility.
“He fits in perfectly with our target group of 15-25 year-olds. He’s someone who speaks to them. I’m certain that our collaboration will be fruitful.
“As a long-time Formula 1 enthusiast, I know how lucky we are to have Pierre at our side to help us achieve all our goals.
“Our ambition is to become the first Parisian club to be entirely French, owned by French people.
“Our approach is both family-oriented and innovative, breaking with convention by leveraging technology to achieve clear competitive advantages. Our model is based on mutual cooperation, humility and seriousness.”
Gasly’s involvement with FC Versailles comes less than a year after Alpine’s F1 team attracted a number of star-studded investors, including Hollywood actors and Wrexham FC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
It later emerged that a number of leading sports stars – including boxer Anthony Joshua, golfer Rory McIlroy and footballers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Juan Mata – also hold an interest in Alpine.
