Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy is reportedly branching out into the world of motor racing with an investment in the Alpine F1 team.
Per The Guardian, the 34-year-old is one of several high-profile co-investors in the team from the world of sport, along with England soccer star Trent Alexander‑Arnold, Spanish soccer player Juan Mata, heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, German tennis player Alexander Zverev and Kansas City Chiefs NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
The athletes have reportedly stumped up a $200m (£173m) in the team as part of a syndicate created by the Otro Capital group that already includes actors and co-owners of Wrexham soccer club Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and Hollywood star Michael B Jordan.
Four of the sports stars – Alexander-Arnold, Joshua, Mata and Zverev – have joined as part of Portugal-based Apex investment group, an entity that also has a stake in TMRW Sports group, founded by 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods and McIlroy and which is behind the forthcoming made for prime-time TV arena-based golf competition, TGL.
Apex group chief executive officer António Cacorino explained the appeal of F1 for investors. He said: “We have all seen growth in the sport over the last six or seven years and over the last two and three it has been really sustained growth.
“It has changed the sport for good, we believe F1’s momentum is here to stay and this was the perfect deal. F1 has gone beyond diehard petrolhead fans, it’s a sport for the masses. All over the world people are watching it and few sports have that.”
Along with the other athletes, McIlroy is expected to attend F1 races and help drive the team’s commercial strategies, drawing on his experience from the world of golf.
The investment is the latest link between golf and F1 following the success of Netflix docuseries Full Swing, which was made by the same people as the hit series Formula 1: Drive to Survive and a collaboration, announced last week, between TaylorMade and another F1 team, Oracle Red Bull Racing, on a limited edition golf collection.
Last season, Alpine finished fourth in the F1 constructors’ championship. As for McIlroy, his last action came in Team Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup challenge at Marco Simone. His next appearance is expected to come at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November.
