Miami Grand Prix Start Time Moved Forward Three Hours

Formula 1 and the FIA announced on Saturday evening that the Miami Grand Prix start time has been moved forward by three hours to 18:00 BST on Sunday, May 3, 2026, due to the threat of thunderstorms. Forecasters predict heavy rainstorms arriving close to the original scheduled start time, with the worst conditions expected around 8pm, one hour before the initial race commencement.

The decision aims to minimize disruption and prioritize safety for drivers, fans, teams, and staff, as American regulations require suspension of proceedings if lightning threatens the circuit area, mandating all personnel to seek shelter.

798 seconds during the qualifying session on May 2, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. Max Verstappen finished second in qualifying, followed by Charles Leclerc in third, Lando Norris in fourth, George Russell in fifth, Lewis Hamilton in sixth, Oscar Piastri in seventh, Franco Colapinto in eighth, Isack Hadjar in ninth, and Pierre Gasly in tenth.

Antonelli's pole marks his third in consecutive races, making the 19-year-old Italian the youngest title race leader in Formula One history and the current championship leader.

Lando Norris, who qualified fourth behind Antonelli, Verstappen, and Leclerc, stated, 'I don't know how wet it's going to be. 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 suggested the substantial electrical power in the new engines could create additional unpredictability and described the potential for 'a bit more chaos' given teams' ongoing difficulties deploying power consistently. His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri said, 'It's obviously going to be a voyage into the unknown for everybody.

When it rains here, it normally is pretty torrential, so it could be an interesting day,' while highlighting concerns about power delivery, noting decisions about energy deployment rest largely with computer systems. Max Verstappen, who finished second in qualifying, said, 'For me to be on the front row is way better than I expected. Let’s hope for a good start.

I’ve not had many of them this year. Verstappen, along with the Ferrari drivers and Isack Hadjar, has tested the new cars in rain, though Hadjar crashed during wet pre-season running in Barcelona. Kimi Antonelli said, 'It has been an amazing day for me to be on pole again.

It was obviously a difficult sprint for me earlier, but I am super happy with this recovery. I got a little too excited in that last lap in Q3, but my first lap was good enough. 116 to lead Q2.

578 seconds off Antonelli's pace. Lando Norris won the sprint race earlier on May 2, 2026, leading Oscar Piastri to a McLaren one-two finish. The 2025 Miami Grand Prix sprint race began in wet conditions.

McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari introduced substantial upgrades for the Miami Grand Prix, while Mercedes opted for minimal changes, reserving their major development package for Canada, where McLaren will have further new parts. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia grands prix were cancelled earlier in the 2026 season due to conflict in the Middle East.

F1 returns from a five-week hiatus due to the United States-Israel war on Iran.

The FIA announced protocols for administering suspension due to lightning threat. The article was published on May 3, 2026, at 00:36 BST and updated at 02:33 BST.