Alpine driver invited to the sets of Deadpool by Ryan Reynolds

Esteban Ocon claims new Alpine investor and stakeholder Ryan Reynolds invited him to the sets of the Deadpool movie. The Frenchman, who is a Marvel fan, interacted with the Hollywood actor and got invited to the movie sets in London.

Speaking to the on-site media at Silverstone, the Alpine driver said:

“It is fantastic. I was extremely lucky to be able to chat with Ryan, so we exchanged a couple of WhatsApp [messages] together. He said I was invited onto set in London for the Deadpool movie, so I am definitely going to be going. He also said he was very much looking forward to learning from our world."

He added:

"I am a massive comic and Marvel fan, a massive Deadpool fan and he is just very inspiring in what he does, outside his acting world, he is an extremely talented businessman as well. So I am very much looking forward to meeting him properly.”

Reynolds, along with another investor group, recently acquired a 24 percent stake in Alpine Racing for 200 million Euros. The Hollywood actor has been an added asset to the team and an example of F1’s growth as a sport and business.

Ocon claims a WhatsApp interaction with Reynolds led to him being invited to the sets of the Marvel movie Deadpool. Prior to Drive to Survive, Hollywood celebrities rarely graced the races with their presence.

The most regular household names were the Game of Thrones cast back in the day, and Liam Cunningham has been a regular in the paddock for decades. The Irishman further introduced Game of Thrones actor Kit Harrington to the F1 circus. An occasional visit by Tom Cruise or Steven Spielberg was a rare sighting.

---

Alpine drivers are looking forward to upgrades on their cars at Silverstone

Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly feel they definitely need to take a step forward with their new upgrades at Silverstone. While Gasly feels that the Silverstone circuit could suit them better, Ocon believes it is critically important for them to step up their game.

Speaking to the on-site media ahead of the British GP, Ocon said:

“Many teams made steps in the last two races and we definitely need to make one as well, so I look forward to seeing what we can do. We are still focused on the teams in front of us, that's very clear, but we can see that the teams behind are also pushing forward.”

Looking forward to the British GP, Gasly added:

“It’s definitely going to bring us some performance and, hopefully, Silverstone can be a track that suits us a bit better, as Austria is always a bit particular. Looking forward to next weekend, and seeing what we get out of it.”

The Alpine team currently sits in fifth place in the constructor’s championship. Their rivals, McLaren, have stepped up their performance in the last two races and cost them a handful of points.

While the French outfit looked comfortable in the opening races of the season, the last two race weekends have seen a drop in performance and results.