MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 04: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 and Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes battle for track position on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 04, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
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Formula 1 is finally back in action after a five-week break, with Miami hosting the first American race of the 2026 season and the second sprint event from May 1-3.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes arrives in the South Florida city as the drivers’ championship leader thanks to his back-to-back victories in China and Japan.
The Italian driver, 19, currently holds a nine-point cushion over teammate George Russell, who took the win in the season opener in Melbourne, Australia.
Ferrari had put up a strong showing so far this year, finishing on the podium in all three opening rounds. Charles Leclerc grabbed third place in both Australia and Japan while Lewis Hamilton ended his podium drought in China, securing his first top-three finish in Ferrari red.
Meanwhile defending champions McLaren haven’t had the start they were hoping for, picking up only 18 points out of the two opening rounds. The Woking outfit had a disastrous outing in China where Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri couldn’t even start the race due to technical issues on their cars.
Piastri bounced back last time out in Japan however, getting the team’s first podium of the season in P2 after sitting out the first two races, while Norris came in fifth place.
Now McLaren are third in the constructors’ championship behind second-placed Ferrari and leaders Mercedes.
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Heading into round four, things are bound to get interesting with new tweaks to the controversial 2026 regulations coming into effect from the Miami weekend onwards.
These changes are aimed at promoting car performance and flat-out driving in qualifying, reducing dangerous closing speeds between cars during races and improving overall safety on track including in wet conditions.
The tweaks came about after a thorough analysis of the first three rounds of the season along with feedback from drivers and teams.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has been the most critical of the racing the new regulations have produced, labeling the cars as “anti-racing” and even going so far as to suggest he is considering quitting the sport at the end of the year as he is no longer enjoying it.
Other drivers have voiced their frustrations with car performance in qualifying and also raised concerns over safety, especially following Oliver Bearman’s serious 50G crash last month in Japan due to the big closing speed to the car in front.
“Safety and sporting fairness remain the FIA’s highest priorities,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“These changes have been introduced to address the issues identified in the opening events and to ensure the continued integrity and quality of the competition.”
Formula 1 has made tweaks to its 2026 regulations ahead of the Miami Grand Prix
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Since the championship has had quite a long pause, Friday’s sole practice run in Miami has been stretched to 90 minutes instead of the usual hour, giving teams and drivers some extra track time to shake off the rust and adapt to the new rule tweaks.
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Miami International Autodrome plays host to round four and the second sprint of the season this weekend. This means teams will only have one practice session to dial in their cars and gather crucial data.
The 90-minute practice session (FP1) kicks off at 12 p.m. local time on Friday, May 1, followed by sprint qualifying later in the day at 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday, May 2, drivers will battle it out in the 100km sprint at 12 p.m. before fighting for starting grid positions in the grand prix qualifying at 4 p.m.
The main race, having originally been scheduled for 4 p.m., will now kick off three hours earlier at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 3 due to weather concerns.
All below start times are on Friday unless stated otherwise.
All below start times are on Friday unless stated otherwise.
All below start times are on Saturday unless stated otherwise.
All below start times are on Saturday unless stated otherwise.
UPDATED – All below start times are on Sunday unless stated otherwise.
Fans in the United States can catch the live action of their home grand prix on Apple TV, while viewers in the United Kingdom can tune in to Sky Sports for extensive coverage of the weekend, with highlights available for free on Channel 4.
In select regions, F1 TV Pro subscribers can tune in for live coverage on any device, along with the opportunity to catch up on full session replays and highlights afterwards.
Below is the broadcast information for some key territories:
Highlights from each day of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix weekend will be available on F1’s YouTube channel.
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