Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham Take Photo at F1 Grand Prix
It would be difficult to capture more star power from the sports world than Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady did in a photo Sunday at the Miami Grand Prix.
The NFL superstar posted a picture of himself alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan, soccer legend David Beckham and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton:
That's a lot of championships standing side by side. Along with Hamilton's F1 titles, Brady has won seven Super Bowls, Jordan captured six NBA titles and Beckham secured 10 league trophies.
The photo helps showcase the rapid growth of the sport's popularity in the United States, which has coincided closely with the smash-hit Netflix documentary Formula 1: Drive to Survive, a behind-the-scenes series that debuted in 2019.
It's the first time Miami has hosted an F1 race as part of a 10-year deal, and the racing series is adding a Las Vegas night race to its schedule in 2023. The U.S. Grand Prix, which has taken place in Texas since 2012, has been held on 50 occasions since 1908.
Hamilton explained Wednesday he was surprised by how long it took F1 to catch on in a sport-rich country like the U.S., but he's happy that's started to change and believes the Miami event can become a hallmark event similar to NASCAR's Daytona 500 in Florida.
"At one stage we didn't have a Grand Prix here, then we only had one Grand Prix. Now we're expanding. I think this is going to be like our Super Bowl," Hamilton said. "I am so happy to be in Miami. This is the sport's first time here and the anticipation of this event has just skyrocketed."
Getting public support from the likes of Jordan, Brady and Beckham, an Englishman who now co-owns the Inter Miami soccer club in MLS, provides a major boost to those efforts.
The Miami Grand Prix green flag is scheduled to wave Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
