When it comes to athletes maintaining world-class standards deep into their 'twilight years', none have done it better than Tom Brady.
Widely recognised as the best quarterback—and, by extension, the best player—to have competed in the National Football League, Brady will begin his 23rd professional season at age 45 later this year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shot-caller announced his retirement in early February only to confirm he'd play at least one more season the following month.
It therefore makes sense Lewis Hamilton would seek some sage advice from the seven-time Super Bowl champion when he visits Florida next week. The Sun reported Hamilton will meet with his fellow sporting icon after travelling for Formula 1 's inaugural edition of the Miami Grand Prix.
The summit follows a torrid patch of form for Hamilton, which reached a new low on Sunday when he finished 13th in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, leaving him seventh in the standings. The 37-year-old's best result after four races remains his third-place finish at the season-opener in Bahrain.
Mercedes were long forecast to struggle in comparison to Red Bull and Ferrari this season, with 'porpoising' issues an ongoing concern since the first weeks of pre-season. But while team-mate George Russell is yet to finish lower than fifth so far in his debut season, Hamilton has looked surprisingly sub-par at times.
Both the Briton and boss Toto Wolff have acknowledged a title shot looks out of reach this season. Wolff underlined the dour mood around the team when he apologised to Hamilton after he was lapped by rival Verstappen en route to Sunday's disappointing result at Imola.
Will Lewis Hamilton ever win an eighth F1 world title? Let us know in the comments section.
"Sorry for what you have needed to drive today," the Austrian was heard saying over Mercedes' team radio. "I know this is undriveable and not what we deserved to score as a result. So we move from there, but this was a terrible race."
Brady, 44, won three Super Bowls in his first five seasons as an NFL player, though he too was forced to overcome adversity before he returned to American football 's summit. There was a decade-long wait between his third and fourth rings (2004-14), but he's averaged a title win every other season since then.
The meeting of minds was almost prevented from materialising after it emerged earlier in April that local residents had sought to prevent the Miami Grand Prix over claims of noise pollution. It's since been confirmed the lawsuit has been dismissed, however, and the May 8 race will take place as planned.
