Current Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri gave Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa an unforgettable drive as the papaya driver took him on a Pirelli Hot Lap around the Miami International Autodrome in a McLaren 750S.
Tagovailoa has been a quarterback for the Miami Dolphins since 2020, where he was selected fifth in the NFL draft. But even he, whose second home is the Hard Rock Stadium that this track is built around, was shocked by the performance the young Australian was able to extract from the supercar.
“That boy drifting! That boy really know how to do this!” he shouted as Piastri wrestled his car around the 19-turn circuit.
Tagovailoa’s contract with the Dolphins was extended in 2023 with a confidence-inspiring $212.1 million contract extension for four years. Now, after making headlines for putting his Davie home up for sale for a reported $3 million, he’s come to enjoy a weekend of motorsport.
“You were flying!” he told Piastri. Of course, the 750S is no slouch even without the keen skills of an F1 driver behind its wheel. With a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 sitting behind the seats producing 740 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, it’s fast enough to make anyone grin from ear to ear.
60mph comes and goes in just 2.3 seconds before it reaches a top speed of 206mph. Weighing just 3,206lbs, it’s nimble on its tyres, too. “I tried my best for you. I hope that’s the fastest hot lap you ever have,” Piastri told the Hawaii-born sportsman.
This has been a breakthrough year for the Australian. After finishing fourth in the drivers’ standings last season, he’s fighting at the top as he heads into the Miami sprint race later today where he starts second on the grid.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Zak Brown, McLaren
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“It wasn’t the best lap ever… I had a lock-up into the last corner, which I think was probably where pole went away, but P2 is still a good result,” he told the media and Motorsport.com at the track.
“We can still fight from there in the Sprint tomorrow, so all in all, I’m pretty happy.”
He was further asked about whether he feels he has a shot for a win this weekend – a weekend made more complicated thanks to the lack of practice sessions.
“Yeah, definitely. I think we’ve got a bit more pace to unlock, hopefully. I’m feeling positive still.
“We’ll try and make up a spot tomorrow in the Sprint before we get stuck into where the big points are.”
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