Components 1 driver Pierre Gasly is veering off the monitor and into the soccer world after investing in French third division membership FC Versailles.

“I am delighted to be becoming a member of FC Versailles as a result of I’ve all the time needed to become involved in skilled soccer,” stated Gasly, who drives for Alpine. “That is the beginning of an exquisite story. Go Versailles!”

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The French driver will be a part of the membership as joint shareholder, alongside Alexandre Mulliez — the grandson of the founding father of Auchan multinational retail group — and his companion Fabien Lazare.

Talking to French outlet L’Equipe, Gasly stated: “I had been searching for a while to become involved in an bold mission. I used to be what was occurring in that world and I met the Mulliez household.

“We sat across the desk to see how he [Alexandre] needed to develop the membership. Now we have medium and long-term ambitions for 5, 10 and 15 years. It is considered one of my favorite sports activities, my second after racing.”

The membership didn’t reveal the proportion of Gasly’s shareholding.”It isn’t the largest monetary dedication of my life as an entrepreneur,” Gasly stated to L’Equipe. “However it’s the one which emotionally engages me probably the most.

“Above all, it is a ardour mission for me, to create one thing strong when it comes to coaching, and ladies’s soccer too.”

Mulliez took over the financially stricken membership final yr.

“I’m satisfied that our collaboration shall be fruitful,” Mulliez stated. “As a long-standing F1 fan, I understand how fortunate we’re to have Pierre at our aspect to assist us obtain all our objectives.”

Info from the Related Press contributed to this report.