From Grand Slam success to football fandom – How F1 has become sport’s ultimate crossover

Tennis superstar and Friend of F1, Jannik Sinner, is well under way in his Australian Open defence, as he today set up a semi-final match up with Novak Djokovic. Sinner is looking to make it three titles in a row Down Under, as well as securing a fifth Grand Slam title at just 24 years old.

The Italian has helped to bring the tennis and motorsport world together, attending multiple races as part of his role, while also spending time with George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and fellow countryman Kimi Antonelli.

Sinner is a high-profile example of Formula 1 crossing over with other elite sports, but it is far from the only one. Drivers frequently show their love of competition, attending, participating, and sometimes even investing in the sporting world. And with some of the biggest names taking interest in all things racing, let’s break down the multitude of sports that crossover with F1…

Tennis

Sinner became a ‘Friend of F1’ in 2023, having made no secret of his love of racing. “One of the main reasons why I love F1 is because I feel there’s a lot of synergies between tennis and racing,” he said. “I feel that in both sports it’s all about the small details that make a huge difference.”

The obsession is clearly a family affair, as Sinner has complained during post-match interviews of his brother missing his tournaments to attend races instead!

Sinner isn’t the only tennis Grand Slam winner to make their love of F1 known, with Djokovic, Serena and Venus Williams, and Roger Federer all drawn to the high-speed entertainment.

Those synergies between tennis and racing have enticed the grid too, with plenty of drivers attending Grand Slams to watch the best of the best. Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix fall at similar times, so every year SW19 becomes a hotspot for F1 drivers. The likes of Russell, Ollie Bearman, Liam Lawson, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly have all gone to the Championships, while Oscar Piastri attended his home Australian Open courtside last year.

While the paddock may currently be more interested in a different racquet sport, namely padel, a few of them still enjoy the more traditional tennis – Lance Stroll, Sainz, and Antonelli are pretty handy on the court.

Football

A sport as big as football was always going to have a hold on the drivers, but this current grid have taken their love to a whole new level. With the majority of drivers self-confessed fans of various top teams, Pierre Gasly has taken his love of the beautiful game a bit further, investing in French third division side FC Versailles – an exciting passion project for the 29-year-old. He even has the number 10 on his car to pay homage to footballing icon Zinedine Zidane!

It’s not just F1 drivers funding football, however, sometimes footballers fund F1. Former Premier League stars Juan Mata and Trent Alexander-Arnold became Alpine investors in 2023. Alexander-Arnold has attended a few races, while other footballing stars who’ve watched the action include Kylian Mbappe, David Beckham, Ruud Gullit, Mason Mount, Sergio Aguero, and Luis Suarez.

The paddock are definitely better behind the wheel than on the pitch, but they still enjoy a good kickabout, as highlighted in the yearly Monaco charity football game that has seen the likes of Leclerc, Sainz, Hadjar, Gasly and Sergio Perez battling it out. The Mercedes and Aston Martin factories also got involved with a charity game in Brackley in 2025, with the Silver Arrows coming out on top 3-2!

Ever the stunt masters, Red Bull produced an epic F1 x Football crossover, sending new Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad into Leeds United’s stadium to complete football challenges in an F1 car! Some Leeds players attempted to race Lindblad’s machinery, before taking on the youngster in a penalty shoot-out.

American Football

The newest F1 team on the grid have already played into their American roots by planning an American football crossover like no other. Cadillac have decided to splash the cash on a coveted Super Bowl advert to launch their brand-new livery on February 8th. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled during the broadcast!

The Denver Broncos came up one game short of the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game, much to the disappointment of Lewis Hamilton. The Briton became a part-owner of the franchise four years ago and has even made it to a few games between American races – although he’ll have to wait a little longer for a Super Bowl experience with his team.

With the Miami International Autodrome built around the Hard Rock Stadium, including part of the paddock on the pitch itself, there was always going to be some time for footballing fun. Home of the Miami Dolphins, the stadium always features games and challenges for the drivers to try out on Thursday of Miami race week. The paddock have tested their kicking and catching skills, with the help of Dolphins players, of course. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa even got a hot lap from Piastri – it looked like he had a great time!

The consortium that invested in Alpine featured some of the NFL’s biggest names. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce joined a whole host of sportspeople and celebrities who put money into the Enstone outfit, with Mahomes deciding to get a closer look at his venture at last year’s race.

Summer Olympics

There isn’t an event quite like the Olympics – so it’s no surprise that Olympic sports have a big following in the paddock. Appreciation between Olympians and drivers is reciprocated, with the former increasingly taking in the action trackside over race weekends.

Piastri and Leclerc got a taste of some track and field at the Monaco Diamond League meet in 2025, with the duo meeting pole vault legend Mondo Duplantis after the Swede defied gravity to break the meeting record of over six metres! It seems the world record holder has a need for speed off the track too, swapping pole vault for pole position to present Lando Norris with the Qualifying award at COTA in 2024.

Elsewhere, high jump Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim waved the chequered flag at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2021, four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah has been spotted at multiple race weekends, and track and field power couple Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall presented the Sprint trophies for the US GP last year. And of course, there’s the iconic image from 2017 of Usain Bolt and Hamilton recreating the Jamaican’s legendary pose on the podium in Texas.

However, it’s not just track and field, with Olympic medallists from all disciplines spotted at races. Judo legend and nine-time world champion Teddy Riner has long been a fan, while skateboard sensation Rayssa Leal stole the show over the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend last season.

One of Hamilton’s closest friends, elite fencer Miles Chamley-Watson, is a regular presence on the seven-time world champion’s side of the garage. Hamilton had the chance to return the favour at the 2024 Paris Olympics, sitting front row for the men’s foil team competition to watch Chamley-Watson claim fourth with Team USA.

He later posted on Instagram, “I’m so proud of you brother. The challenges you’ve faced and overcome to get here is nothing short of amazing” – after all, no one understands the dedication, sacrifices and pressure of elite sport quite like another athlete.

Winter Olympics

It’s not just the summer sports that draw Olympic icons to the paddock – winter Olympians have become familiar faces at races all over the world. Three-time Olympic snowboarding gold medallist Shaun White is also a close friend of Hamilton, often attending to show support, while snow stars Lindsey Vonn, Eileen Gu, and Chloe Kim have gotten up close to the action in previous years. For some, snow sports literally run in the family – Australian snowboarder Scotty James has enjoyed plenty of race weekends himself, supporting his brother-in-law, Stroll!

The drivers clearly have a great love and admiration for winter sports too! Many head to the slopes each winter break, but in 2026 it’s reached another level. Yuki Tsunoda started off his year strong, showing off his skills in Austria whilst competing in a charity snowboarding event alongside the Alpine Skiing World Cup. Meanwhile, Antonelli had the honour of carrying the Olympic torch through Palmanova ahead of the Winter Olympic Games starting in February in his home country – an unforgettable memory for the Mercedes man.

Golf

If there’s one sport that F1 drivers love almost as much as driving, it’s golf. You’d be hard-pressed to find a member of the grid who doesn’t enjoy time on the course – especially when it involves competition. It seems the bragging rights were settled at the 2023 ‘Netflix Cup’ ahead of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, with Sainz coming out on top alongside his partner two-time major winner Justin Thomas.

But for Alex Albon, it’s not just his fellow drivers who put his skills to the test – it’s his fiancée! Lily Muni He is a professional golfer on the LPGA Tour – we can only hope he’s managed to pick up a few tips from her along the way!

The F1 paddock is also a hotspot for professional golfers, but arguably none more so than the current Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who has not only attended plenty of races in the past, but is also one of the star-studded sports investors in Alpine.

Cycling

Cycling is another sport that pairs naturally with F1 – not just for the drivers themselves as an effective training method, but the sport as a whole. Despite being two wheels versus four, both demand cutting-edge technologies, engineering and a large focus on aerodynamics. It’s no surprise that partnerships exist between F1 teams and pro cycling outfits, with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe running alongside Red Bull Racing, and INEOS Grenadiers partnering with Mercedes.

Therefore, it was inevitable that cyclists and F1 fans are such big fans of each other’s disciplines. Five-time Olympic gold medallist Harrie Lavreysen put Leclerc through his paces around Zandvoort in 2024, finding time to discuss their different approach to steep banked corners – while other cyclists head to race weekends for a more relaxing time.

The drivers have seemed starstruck by the likes of Chris Hoy, Demi Vollering, and Mark Cavendish all causing a stir. One particularly special guest in the paddock was Alex Zanardi, himself an F1 driver between 1991-94 who has since become a four-time Paralympic gold medallist in handcycling after having both of his legs amputated.

For some of the drivers, cycling is less about training, and more about competing. New Cadillac recruit Valtteri Bottas spent time in his ‘gap year’ from racing in 2025 lining up for a number of gravel races alongside his partner, professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.

Meanwhile, Bearman and Sainz have been relishing their time on two wheels – perhaps helped by heading out for the odd ride or two with their ‘pretty fast’ friend, Tadej Pogacar. That’s a pretty effective way of getting the cardio in!

Basketball

Although basketball players and F1 drivers differ greatly in terms of height, they do both share a mutual appreciation of their respective sports. Just last week, Antonelli enjoyed courtside seats to watch the NBA London Game, featuring the Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies. They even performed a jersey swap before the game!

A few years prior, the French-speaking trio of Leclerc, Esteban Ocon and Gasly soaked in the atmosphere of the NBA Paris game courtside, as they enjoyed the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Detroit Pistons.

Some of the NBA’s biggest names have made a habit of making viral moments during race weekend – who can forget four-time champion Shaquille O’Neal’s iconic appearance at the 2021 US Grand Prix in Texas? McLaren have a special friendship with Golden State Warrior and six-time NBA all-star Jimmy Butler, who blew up online after his hot lap antics with Lando Norris.

Last season, Las Vegas Aces superstar and four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson took advantage of F1 on her doorstep, as she waved the chequered flag for the final race of the F1 ACADEMY season.

Combat sport

Combat sports like boxing are excellent for keeping fit, explaining why numerous drivers have incorporated the sport into their training regimes. Leclerc, Verstappen and Ocon have all been seen with the gloves on, although perhaps with less intensity and risk in their workouts than the professionals.

The biggest MMA fan on the grid is likely to be Red Bull’s Hadjar, who has often been spotted near the octagon over the last year. He was at a Professional Fighters League event in Lyon last year, and even met UFC’s Khamzat Chimaev before Suzuka, which he was clearly very excited for!

Boxing legends have also taken an interest in F1, with former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua taking in the atmosphere on the grid on several occasion, having also invested in Alpine a couple years back.

Cricket

The Ashes always draws huge crowds Down Under, and this year was no exception. Honorary Australian Bottas was at the Adalaide test, while the Australian-born driver Piastri attended his hometown test in Melbourne – the McLaren man even managed to meet some of the stars of the Australian side.

The roles have been reversed many times, with some of cricket’s very best frequently visiting F1 tracks across the world. Red Bull athlete and hero of the Afghan national cricket team Rashid Khan was at Abu Dhabi last year, gifting a special bat to Verstappen before the finale.

Members of England cricket team also chose to watch the racing around Yas Marina, with the likes of Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and James Anderson in attendance in 2022. Stokes, along with fellow England bowler Stuart Broad, also displayed their love of motorsport by taking part in the Virtual Grand Prix series in 2020, with Stokes getting the better of his team mate around Interlagos.