Anthony Joshua sees some similarities between his iconic career as a boxer and what Formula 1 drivers must do in training to get to the top in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Both sports require individual excellence and a strong team around the star figure to achieve greatness, but even more so in F1. Joshua has enjoyed a closer look at the parallels between boxing and F1 in recent years as one of several sporting superstars who invested in Alpine.
Joshua is one member of the Otro Capital investment group that invested £184m to secure a 24% stake in the Alpine F1 team. Other famous investors in Otro Capital include golfer Rory McIlroy, NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds.
Anthony Joshua would never train an F1 driver like a boxer as they must ‘keep a cool head’
Joshua made his first appearance in the F1 paddock after investing in the Alpine team at the 2023 United States Grand Prix. McIlroy also attended the race in Texas and he tried to teach Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who still drove in F1 for Alpine at the time, how to play golf.
And after Martin Brundle watched McIlroy try to teach Gasly and Ocon how to play golf, the renowned F1 driver-turned-pundit put the question of trying to train Formula 1 drivers like boxers to Joshua. But the two-time heavyweight champion quickly shut down Brundle’s idea.
While Joshua sees clear similarities between the importance of reactions in both sports, the Briton believes F1 drivers must “keep a cool head” unlike boxers. Thus, training an F1 driver like a boxer would be counterproductive to achieving success in the pinnacle of motorsport.
“No, I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t do that,” Joshua told Sky Sports. “You need to keep a cool head in there.
“We were working on some reaction games, some quick thinking games upstairs because, like boxing, it’s about milliseconds. It’s about seeing the punch coming at you and reacting to it. So, these guys are the same.
“It’s about reacting to certain situations [and in the] corners. So, I’m going to help them more with like reaction stuff. But let me be honest, they already know what they’re doing.”
Christian Horner could net Anthony Joshua a fortune by buying Otro Capital’s shares in Alpine
Joshua joined Otro Capital in investing in the Alpine F1 team in 2023 in an effort to help both boxing and Formula 1 grow. His minority shareholding in the Enstone-based outfit could also now bank the Briton a fortune, with Otro Capital in talks to sell its shares in the Alpine team.
A report by OE24 suggests that Otro Capital recently agreed to sell its shares in the Alpine team to former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. But the deal has stalled, as Renault Group executive adviser Flavio Briatore fears Horner may risk Alpine’s Mercedes engine deal.
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