McLaren F1 Miami Grand Prix plans in tatters after 2026 setback

McLaren

McLaren Miami Grand Prix plans in tatters after F1 2026 setback

McLaren were expected to celebrate a significant milestone at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 16 April 2026 12:54

The upcoming Miami Grand Prix was supposed to be a cause for celebration for McLaren, but the F1 race cancellations may have put an end to that.

Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were both cancelled with no replacement races brought in for rounds four and five.

It means the next race will be the Miami GP weekend (Friday, May 1 until Sunday, May 3), but it also means McLaren's neat mathematics have been skewed slightly.

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The reigning champions were originally meant to celebrate their 1000th race start at the beginning of May, with their Chief Marketing Officer Louise McEwen teasing something special at their pre-season launch.

"We’ve got a fantastic legacy to celebrate as we race in Miami. It will actually be our 1000th grand prix, so we’ve got some big plans there," she said.

However, after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's double DNS at the Chinese Grand Prix, and the two race cancellations, McLaren are only on 996 race starts. Instead of being their 1000th, the Miami GP will be their 997th.

GPFans have contacted McLaren for comment as to whether the celebrations will still go ahead.

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From champions to third best

The 2026 regulations shake-up has seen McLaren go from being the dominant team to the third best behind Mercedes and Ferrari.

While McLaren are struggling to match the pace of their rivals, their distance behind in the standings is also the result of their issues with the Mercedes power unit.

Their disastrous double DNS in Shanghai was due to two separate electrical issues, with team principal Andrea Stella previously critical of the lack of information given to them by Mercedes.

Nevertheless, Piastri came back fighting at the Japanese Grand Prix with a podium finish, even surprising themselves at their recovery as they look towards catching up with their rivals on a regular basis.

F1 McLaren Miami Grand Prix