Rory McIlroy recently joined a panel of sports stars investing in the Alpine F1 team. The team is owned by the Renault Group and has Ryan Reynolds holding a major stake as well. After his recent investment, McIlroy wasted little time to get involved in the F1 scene. 

The United States Grand Prix 2023 is happening this week, and to support his team, McIlroy flew down for the event. He has even shared a video from the spot in Austin, Texas, on his Instagram profile as a story. Looks like he has found a new vocation with his newfound love for F1. 

Rory McIlroy turns caddie for his new colleague

The Alpine team’s primary drivers are Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. And as Ocon gears up for the US GP, McIlroy was seen carrying his helmet and walking alongside him in the video he shared. McIlroy’s face was bubbling with enthusiasm in other instances where the two were interacting as well.

The official Instagram handle of F1 also shared the video and captioned it: “World-class drivers need a world-class caddy 😉🏌️‍♂️The one and only @rorymcilroy is on duty for @estebanocon in Austin!”

The PGA Tour’s handle commented on the post and said “Hard to beat Rory on the bag” Another comment addressed Tom Clark, Ocon’s performance coach, and asked him if he had been replaced. The coach responded with “😂😂”.

The Alpine F1 team, backed by the Renault group, has had new investors through the Otro Capital, which has stakes in it. The roster includes prominent stars across sports including Rory McIlroy.

Read more: Rory McIlroy Snubs Tiger Woods’ ‘Belief’ in Partner in $14.7 MN Venture, Lewis Hamilton, to Change F1 Loyalty

While at it, McIlroy also engaged in some fan banter and posed a little challenge for the racer. 

Esteban Ocon faces the ‘Rory Challenge’ 

As McIlroy got down to spending time with the F1 star, he spiced things up a bit. He invited Ocon to take part in the ‘Rory Challenge.’ You may already have guessed it. Yes, it had something to do with golf.

So, a mini golf track was set up for the challenge. The track had an elevated slope which led up to two holes. One hole was bigger than the other. The holes had lines drawn from the bottom of the track. 

The challenge was probably to hit the ball along the line. Ocon hit the ball, and it did enter a hole, but not the right hole. His ball went across the lines and shifted lanes to land inside the small hole. 

Ocon playfully argued it should count, but he was told he was supposed to land the big hole. Sadly, his shot didn’t count. As one of the comments pointed out, Esteban Ocon doesn’t drive the way he played golf with McIlroy. We’ll have to see how well his new investment pays off!

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