Miami Grand Prix Start Time Advanced Three Hours

The Miami Grand Prix main race has been moved forward by three hours to 18:00 BST on Sunday due to the threat of thunderstorms. The decision was made by F1 and the FIA on Saturday evening in Miami, as the weather forecast predicts heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon close to the original planned race start time.

F1 and the FIA stated that the change ensures the least amount of disruption to the race and provides the maximum possible window to complete the grand prix in the best conditions to prioritize the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff.

The worst of the weather is forecast to arrive at about 15:00 local time (20:00 BST), one hour before the original start time, with heavy rain expected to stay for hours after it starts. Lando Norris, the defending F1 champion, stated that the expected wet weather will throw Formula 1 drivers in at the deep end.

He added: 'It's going to be a big challenge on race day for everyone to perform, find the limit.

Obviously, you can't afford to make any mistakes. We're thrown in the deep end, but that's what we're here to do. Norris also stated that the new engines threaten a bit more chaos in wet conditions.

The vast majority of the Formula 1 grid have not experienced the 2026 cars in wet conditions, following the biggest rule change in the sport's history. The new 2026 engines provide a massive amount of electrical power, and teams have been having issues deploying electrical power in a predictable manner in the 2026 cars.

Oscar Piastri stated: 'It's obviously going to be a voyage into the unknown for everybody.

Piastri added: 'It's just going to be what happens with the power-unit, how you get power, where you get power is in a computer's hands. Just making sure that that does roughly what we expect. Max Verstappen, a four-time champion, stated: 'Quite slippery.

It's quite a handful. It's not going to be easy. Verstappen, the Ferrari pair, and Isack Hadjar are among the few drivers to have driven one of the new 2026 cars in the wet. Isack Hadjar crashed in the wet during pre-season testing in Barcelona.

The 2025 Miami Grand Prix sprint race began in wet conditions. Kimi Antonelli finished fourth but was demoted to sixth for excessive track limits breaches and received a five-second penalty.

Norris stated: 'Nice to be back on the top step! A good day for us. It was hot out there and sweaty. I was pushing, trying to find that balance of pushing and staying relaxed to not make mistakes. Norris also stated that McLaren will make only minor changes to his car after the sprint race win, adding: 'Probably not too many.

It's worked so far. We will change a couple things. Piastri stated: 'I’m mostly satisfied. There’s obviously a little bit to find to try to stay with Lando, but overall, it was a good morning. We’ll try to see what we can do for qualifying.

Charles Leclerc, who is 28 years old, stated: 'The upgrades worked well. Thanks to the team that have done massive work over these five weeks. I'm not satisfied with P3. Qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix took place at 9pm on Saturday, with the main race scheduled to commence 24 hours after qualifying.

Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, qualified on pole for the Miami Grand Prix, followed by Max Verstappen in second, Charles Leclerc in third, and Lando Norris in fourth. McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari brought major upgrades to their cars for the Miami Grand Prix, while Mercedes brought only minimal developments.

Mercedes is saving their big step for the next race in Canada, where McLaren will have further new parts.

Verstappen stated that Red Bull's step forward after being a second off the pace at the last race in Japan was incredible and massive. He added: 'When I get a car that is more together, I get more confidence, and I can finally also push a bit more. Then I try to always extract the most out of it.

And that's what we've done. The previous two scheduled grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.

The BBC News article was published on 3 May 2026 at 00:36 BST and updated 27 minutes before the current time.