Why F1’s Pierre Gasly Just Sponsored a Tiny English Soccer Team
When Formula 1 drivers build up enough wealth and a following, it’s not unusual for them to start investing in businesses that add longevity to their finances. Lewis Hamilton, for example, has invested in a number of businesses and has a minority stake in the Denver Broncos. His team-mate, Charles Leclerc, has an ice cream business.
Well, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly has gone about it slightly differently. He invested in a grassroots amateur football squad in England. The 30-year-old French Grand Grix winner has become a sponsor of Shottery United, a Sunday league team based in Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shottery United is a tiny team that sits right at the bottom of the pyramid of the sport. It competes in Division Two of the Evesham & District Sunday Football League. In other words, it’s so removed from the public eye that it really begs the question as to why Gasly has taken a liking to this team.
The team has a social media following of around 400 people – that may give you an understanding of how niche the team is. This is likely to grow as Gasly’s name will be plastered across the chest of the brand-new kit as shown in the Instagram post below. “How have you managed that one?
” one follower of the team asked as the post gained 120 likes at the time of writing. Why has Gasly Chosen This Team? Why did an athlete at the highest level of motorsport choose such a team?