Miami Grand Prix ‘far from certain’ to take place as planned with ‘severe thunderstorms’ forecast

Follow us on Google Discover

The Miami Grand Prix is under threat due to Sunday’s weather forecast, according to a report from the German press.

The race comes after an enforced break in the season, with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix falling victim to the conflict in the Middle East.

F1 teams have agreed a series of rule changes after a divisive start to the sport’s new era, but the first weekend with the revised regulations may be disrupted.

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

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Miami Grand Prix weather could see race rescheduled or even cancelled

According to sport.de, ‘alarm bells are ringing’ over the forecast for this weekend. Strong winds and ‘severe thunderstorms’ are due to hit the area on Sunday.

Conditions are expected to ‘worsen’ in the afternoon and the race is currently scheduled for 4pm.

Last year, the F1 Sprint at Miami was delayed after complaints from the drivers on the formation lap. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed on his way out of the pits due to aquaplaning.

Weather forecasts predict rain this weekend. Does the Miami GP need wet weather to be entertaining?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

The first three editions of the race were completely dry, but this year’s main event is ‘far from certain’ to take place as planned.

F1 bosses may decide, in conjunction with the organisers, to move the race to an earlier slot on Sunday if the conditions are more raceable. A Saturday race is also theoretically possible but would create a major headache with two competitive sessions (the Sprint and qualifying) already scheduled.

What was the last F1 race cancelled due to wet weather?

The 2023 Emilia Romagna GP was cancelled entirely due to flooding in the Imola region.

Two years earlier, the Belgian GP ran for only two laps behind the safety car. If visibility and grip are just as low in Miami, a repeat of Spa is the most likely scenario, rather than an outright cancellation.

• READ MORE: F1 teams are blocking new Saudi Arabian GP date because they don’t want a quadruple header

The 2026 cars haven’t yet raced in wet weather. As part of the pre-Miami changes, maximum energy deployment will be reduced in the rain to improve car control.

Teams can also set their tyre blankets to a higher temperature, which should mean that the initial grip level is higher.