MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins tight end Pharaoh Brown has the itch. On a normal day, he’s not one to drive slowly, but hanging around Formula 1 drivers this week leading into the Miami Grand Prix has him wondering what he has to do to get behind a wheel and do a lap on the circuit.
“I’m trying to get them to allow me to drive on the track,” he said.
Miami Dolphins players Jaelan Phillips (left) and Bradley Chubb chat with McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on May 1, 2025.
Having talked to drivers, Brown knows they can top 200 mph buzzing around Hard Rock Stadium. Is he supposed to be impressed by that? Because if there’s one Dolphin who knows what it’s like to fly when he’s at the controls, it’s Brown.
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He has a pilot’s license.
“Just got it,” he said.
More: Miami Grand Prix F1 drivers on scene – except Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen
So Brown didn’t hesitate when asked who on the Dolphins would make the best F1 driver.
“Probably myself,” he said. “I’m just precise. I like to go fast. I’m not scared and I’m a pilot, so I’m used to, you know, quick moves.”
The problem Brown has is the same one many of his teammates do. As they mingled with F1 drivers who took turns in a mini-field-goal-kicking contest inside the stadium, they couldn’t help but notice the size difference. Brown is 6-feet-5 and 246 pounds. Linebacker Quinton Bell is 6-4, 255. You couldn’t fit them in Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car with a shoehorn.
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“If they make one for my size, I promise I’ll get in,” said Bell, who figured that running back DeVon Achane and kicker Jason Sanders would make the best F1 drivers simply because they’d have the best shot at fitting in a car.
May 1, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (16) kicks mini field goals while Miami Dolphins player Jaelan Phillips holds the ball ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
“I’ve seen how short everybody is,” Brown said. “I walked over to the paddocks in the garage and there’s no chance that I can fit my legs in one of those cars. I was kind of sad at first.”
Players and drivers compared notes on what it takes to be at the top of their respective professions. Edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb diagrammed football plays for McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. Drivers shared insight on not just what it’s like to see the world in a blur, but the work that goes into any successful Sunday.
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“We’re in the stands and we don’t get to see all the fun stuff going on,” Brown said. “So now I can just be a kid again.”
Brown had some idea of what drivers endure, having watched the Netflix series “Drive to Survive.”
“I like Lewis Hamilton and what’s the one guy, he don’t take no (bleep)?” Brown said.
Verstappen?
“Max Verstappen, yeah.”
Miami Grand PrixMay 4, 4 p.m.Miami International Autodrome, Miami GardensABC
May 1, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg (center) greets Miami Dolphins players Will Bradley-King (left) and Quinton Bell (right) ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins get to be ‘a kid again’ meeting Formula 1 drivers