F1 2026: FIA announce Miami Grand Prix change after race cancellations

Antonelli, Piastri, generic, Miami, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Miami Grand Prix

FIA announce Miami Grand Prix change after race cancellations

Miami Grand Prix will be adjusted after FIA confirmation

By Vincent Bruins.

Thursday 23 April 2026 15:40

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The FIA have made a decision surrounding the Miami Grand Prix following the unexpected cancellation of races that have hit the sport.

Friday’s free practice session for the Miami Grand Prix will be extended by an extra 30 minutes.

This means teams and drivers will now have 90 minutes instead of the usual 60 to fine-tune their cars at the Miami International Autodrome.

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The governing body made the change in response to a combination of substantial technical updates and the sprint weekend format used in Florida.

In an official statement, the FIA announced that the schedule for Friday, May 1, has been adjusted to better accommodate the teams. “Following consultation with all stakeholders, it has been agreed that Free Practice 1 (FP1) at the Miami Grand Prix will be extended to 90 minutes.

"As a result, the session will now run from 12:00 to 13:30 local time. All other track sessions planned before FP1 will also move forward by 30 minutes. "This decision has been taken in recognition of the gap since the last grand prix, the recently announced regulatory and technical adjustments, and the fact that as the Miami Grand Prix operates under the Sprint format which reduces the amount of practice time available over the course of the weekend."

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Shorter practice windows due to sprint format

This move isn’t a surprise given the extensive changes made to the engine regulations during the recent spring test.

The FIA pointed to three main reasons for offering drivers extra track time in the United States: the extended gap since the last grand prix, the newly announced regulatory and technical tweaks, and the limited practice time available throughout a sprint weekend.

Postponed races and technical adjustments

The Formula 1 paddock is currently experiencing an unusually long break after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East.

The last race took place at Suzuka in Japan at the end of March, leaving a gap of several weeks on the calendar. Under normal circumstances, the Miami sprint weekend would allow just one hour for teams to regain their rhythm before sprint qualifying begins. The one-off extension to 90 minutes helps alleviate this preparation shortfall.

Recent changes to the 2026 technical regulations also played a major role in this decision-making process.

Earlier this month, the FIA fine-tuned the rules for the new power units based on data from the season’s first three races. Among these adjustments, the maximum energy recovery during qualifying was reduced, while the peak power of the electric components was increased, allowing drivers to maintain full throttle on the straights for longer.

It became clear that the standard 60-minute session wasn’t sufficient for teams to test these complex changes and optimize the software mapping effectively.

F1 FIA Miami Grand Prix