Alpine announce Zidane appointment as Balon d’Or winner joins F1 team

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Football icon Zinedine Zidane has linked up with F1 team Alpine after admitting he met CEO Laurent Rossu at a Grand Prix. The Balon d’Or winner explained he was excited by the project and the team’s intention to help youngsters. 

He said: “I’m very happy to be here today and spend a great evening with you. I have seen great things and I am ever so happy to be part of this team, to be part of the Alpine team. Why? It’s always a meeting that starts something and I had the opportunity of meeting Laurent and the whole Alpine team for a Grand Prix and I think we had a good exchange.

“We shared everything together and I think Alpine and Laurent had the project to give to young people, to have their opportunities for all the young talent. I was very interested in this project.”

The partnership was announced around half an hour after the team showed off their new 2023 A523 car. Zidane has claimed his ambassadorial role will include sharing his insights with the next generation and share his “experience”.

He added: “It’s something which is very valuable. Something which is very interesting for me is that at a time when I was a child I had the opportunity. I was given the opportunity and that meant a lot for me… We can say yes, maybe we are going to give the opportunities for younger talent to be engineers, to be mechanics.”

Zidane was snapped in the Alpine garage at the Monaco Grand Prix back in May. He has previous links to the Enstone team with the ex- French international spotted with former Renault boss Flavio Briatore in Monaco back in 2005.

Alpine CEO Rossi added: Zinedine is an incredible addition. I don’t even want to call it an addition to the team, it’s like an improvement of the team. 

DON’T MISS
Lance Stroll in awkward moment with Alonso after Schumacher admission [INSIGHT]
Fernando Alonso aims not-so-subtle dig at old team Alpine [ANALYSIS]
Fernando Alonso off to ideal Aston Martin start after test session [COMMENT]

“Zinedine as an ambassador is going to bring us a lot, more than what we can imagine . Effectively he’s going to mix his passion for cars, his true values, in order to help us. To think about it, to ponder as a company because we need to think about that.”

Alpine beat McLaren to fourth in the world championship last season but have set a new target of closing the gap to Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer revealed there would be a focus on developing their package faster than their rivals in a bid to achieve their goal.

Source: Read Full Article