F1 Miami Grand Prix 2026: How to watch, Sprint & Race start times and weather forecast

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Formula 1 heads to Miami for the fourth round of the 2026 season following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s action.

After a five-week hiatus caused by conflict in the Middle East, which led to the cancellations at the Bahrain International Circuit and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, F1 finally returns, with the paddock arriving in the United States for the Miami Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings, sitting ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell after securing his maiden victory in China and backing it up with another win in Japan.

During the break, several changes have been made to the 2026 regulations in response to concerns raised by drivers and teams in the opening rounds. The FIA moved quickly to implement amendments, particularly following Oliver Bearman’s heavy 50G crash at Suzuka, which occurred after encountering a slower Franco Colapinto, who was harvesting energy in his Alpine.

Miami also hosts the second Sprint weekend of the season. As a result, Formula 1 has extended the sole practice session by 30 minutes, giving teams additional time to adapt to the regulation changes and better understand their updated cars.

Read More: Kimi Antonelli wins Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Oscar Piastri after safety car turnaround

F1 is back! Who is going to win the Miami Grand Prix?

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When is the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, including full weekend schedule

The 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix takes place from May 1–3, marking the sport’s return after a five-week break following the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March. While it has been dubbed the ‘start of the 2026 season,’ another three-week gap follows the race at Hard Rock Stadium before the championship resumes in Canada.

Track action in Miami builds towards lights out at 4pm local time on Sunday, May 3. The Sprint Race gets underway at 12pm on Saturday, with qualifying later that day at 4pm.

How to watch the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, including free highlights

Full details on how to watch the 2026 Miami Grand Prix in your country can be found on the official Formula 1 website.

UK viewers can catch all the action from the Miami Grand Prix on Sky Sports Main Event, with additional coverage, including practice, qualifying and the sprint race on the Sky Sports F1 channel. Sky Sports packages start at £22 per month. NOW TV customers can also access the race via the Sky Sports pass, with access starting from £27.99 a month.

Free-to-air highlights of the race in Miami will be shown on Channel 4 at 1:35am and 10:25am on Monday 4 May.

In the United States, Formula 1 is now available on Apple TV after the broadcaster secured the rights from ESPN last season. Fans who previously subscribed to F1 TV should see savings, having previously paid $129 per year last season compared to Apple TV’s $99 annual subscription.

In Australia, fans can watch the Miami Grand Prix through Kayo or Foxtel. Kayo is a streaming platform that gives subscribers access to more than 50 live sports, including F1 coverage for $29.99 per month. Foxtel is currently offering a significant discount until 18 May 2026, with its packages starting from $69 per month.

Formula 1 will also upload race highlights from the Miami Grand Prix to its official YouTube channel later on Sunday, following the race.

What is the weather forecast for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix?

At the time of writing, the Miami Grand Prix weekend is set to begin in warm and sunny conditions on Friday and Saturday, though thunderstorms are currently forecast to threaten Sunday’s race.

While Formula 1 cars are capable of running in wet weather, FIA regulations stipulate that a race cannot proceed without a medical helicopter on standby, able to safely transport a driver to hospital if required. In the event of lightning or severe rain, the helicopter is unable to operate, meaning any session would be suspended.

This is further supported by the introduction of the new ‘Rain Hazard’ regulation, which comes into effect when there is more than a 40% chance of precipitation during a Sprint or Grand Prix, or at the race director’s discretion. The declaration must be made no later than two hours before the start and allows teams to adjust front aerodynamic settings and ride height, helping to manage conditions and reduce excessive plank wear.

Additionally, if lightning is detected near the Miami International Autodrome, the session will be halted and spectators and marshals will be instructed to seek shelter. Running will not resume until at least 30 minutes after the last lightning strike, ensuring the safety of everyone at the circuit.

Friday will see highs of 33°C, rising slightly to 34°C on Saturday, with both days expected to be sunny and accompanied by a moderate breeze.

Temperatures are set to drop to around 30°C on Sunday, though conditions become more unpredictable, with a 59% chance of rain at the start of the race. This forecast reduces to 32% within the hour, potentially easing concerns as the Grand Prix unfolds.

What is the Pirelli tyre allocation for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix?

Pirelli has confirmed its tyre allocation for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, opting for the three softest compounds in its range, the C3 Hard, C4 Medium, and C5 Soft.

The Miami International Autodrome, a temporary ‘street-style’ circuit that winds through the Hard Rock Stadium complex and surrounding public roads, is known for evolving rapidly over the course of a race weekend. Resurfaced in 2023, the track features a relatively smooth surface that offers increasing grip as more rubber is laid down.

As a result, tyre degradation is typically low, opening the door to longer stints and potentially favouring one-stop strategies.

However, variable weather conditions on race day could still play a decisive role. Last year’s Sprint race, for example, began in wet conditions following heavy pre-race showers, but the circuit dried quickly — allowing drivers to switch back to slick tyres during the 19-lap contest.

Where is the 2026 Miami Grand Prix held?

The 2026 Miami Grand Prix will take place at the Miami International Autodrome, a 5.412km (3.363-mile) circuit that winds its way around Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. The venue joined the Formula 1 calendar in 2022 following an extensive design process that saw 75 proposals submitted.

As one of the newest races on the calendar, surpassed only by the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which debuted a year later, Miami has hosted just four events to date. Max Verstappen has been the standout performer, winning half of those races.

In 2024, Lando Norris secured his maiden Formula 1 victory after 110 starts, delivering McLaren’s first win since Daniel Ricciardo’s triumph at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

Verstappen also holds the current lap record, setting a time of 1:29.708 in the dominant Red Bull RB19 during the 2023 race weekend.

Who won the 2025 Miami Grand Prix?

The 2025 Miami Grand Prix was won by Oscar Piastri, who led home McLaren teammate Lando Norris, with Mercedes’ George Russell completing the podium.

Max Verstappen started from pole position at the Hard Rock Stadium circuit and initially looked to have second place covered. However, a lock-up into Turn 1 opened the door for Norris to draw alongside the Red Bull.

The pair went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 2, where Verstappen suffered a snap of oversteer that forced Norris off the track. The Brit dropped down to sixth place, falling behind Kimi Antonelli, while a Virtual Safety Car was deployed following a collision between Jack Doohan’s Alpine and Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls further back.

At the restart, Piastri wasted no time in overtaking Antonelli for second before turning his attention to Verstappen. After several laps of pressure, the Australian made his move on Lap 14, capitalising on another lock-up from Verstappen at Turn 1 to take the lead.

Verstappen’s race soon unravelled further. After losing the lead, he was drawn into a battle with Norris and conceded second place just four laps later. An early pit stop compounded his troubles, allowing Russell, who benefited from pitting under a VSC triggered by Oliver Bearman’s engine failure, to retain the final podium position.

Verstappen ultimately fell to fourth, as McLaren secured a dominant one-two finish in Miami.