The FIA, along with Formula One Management and the Miami GP organizers, have made the decision to prepone the start of the race on Sunday by three hours. The is due to the forecasted rainstorm during the afternoon and late evening, which could have potentially seen a major disruption of the event.
On Sunday, the FIA, FOM and the Miami promoter sat down to discuss what needs to be done to combat a major storm that is forecasted to hit the area where the Miami International Autodrome is located. The stakeholders have decided that the race will be brought forward by three hours, now starting at 1:00 PM local time (EDT) (GMT-4), instead of the originally scheduled 4:00 PM start.
The statement explained the reason for the decision, as it read:
“Following discussions between FIA, FOM and the Miami promoter, the decision has been taken to move the start of Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix to 13:00 local time in Miami due to the weather forecast that is expected to bring heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon close to the original planned race start time.”
But a little bit of rain in the air in not the reason for the preponement as F1 cars are more than capable of functioning in wet conditions. The main reason for the decision is the lighting that is expected to hit the area during the rainstorm, and the Florida laws that will come into action if and when that happens.
According to the state laws, it is recommended that all outdoor sporting events be suspended upon the sound of thunder. The activity then can only be resumed 30 minutes after the latest sound of thunder has been heard, meaning it could cause significant delays to the Miami GP. The fans would also have to be evacuated from the stands and taken to a safe space, which, again, is nearly impossible to do without causing substantial delays to proceedings.
FIA looking to “prioritize safety” as timings for the Miami GP change
The aforementioned joint statement from the FIA, FOM and the Miami GP promoter has also stated that the decision to prepone the race start on Sunday has been made keeping the safety of the teams, drivers, fans and staff in mind.
The stakeholders have also claimed that this move will ensure the “least amount of disruption” to the race on Sunday.
“This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritize the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff,” read the statement.
But even with the early start, the Miami GP would still start in wet conditions. This would be a first for the 2026 cars, that have not been driven in the rain yet. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will start on pole with Max Verstappen just behind, making for an intriguing and potentially tricky race start.
Edited by Charanjot Singh Kohli
