FIA confirm unusual Miami GP change after race cancellations

F1's return at the Miami Grand Prix will feature a major change after the FIA confirmed that FP1 has been extended to 90 minutes.

The sport is back in action this weekend following an enforced five-week break, with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix both cancelled.

That has left teams and drivers without a race since the Japanese Grand Prix, making Miami a hugely important weekend as the 2026 season resumes.

And with the weekend also taking place under the sprint format, the FIA have opted to give teams extra practice time before competitive sessions begin.

F1 HEADLINES: FIA make Miami GP change as race threatened by thunderstorms

Why is Miami GP FP1 90 minutes?

FP1 in Miami was originally scheduled to run for the usual 60 minutes.

However, the FIA have now confirmed that the only practice session of the weekend will instead last for 90 minutes.

The decision comes after consultation with stakeholders, with teams given more time to gather data following the long break between races.

It also comes after recent tweaks to the 2026 regulations, meaning the extended session will give teams a more useful window to understand their cars before sprint qualifying.

That is particularly important because sprint weekends leave very little margin for error.

Instead of the usual three practice sessions across Friday and Saturday, teams get just one before the serious business begins.

Miami GP sprint weekend schedule

The extra 30 minutes of FP1 could therefore prove crucial.

Practice will take place on Friday before sprint qualifying later that evening, setting the grid for Saturday's sprint race.

The sprint will then be followed by qualifying for the main grand prix, before the Miami GP itself takes place on Sunday.

F1 2026 Regulations: Every new rule and car change explained

When is the Miami Grand Prix?

The Miami Grand Prix weekend follows the sprint format, with plenty of action across three days.

Friday
FP1: 17:00 UK / 12:00 ET / 11:00 CT / 09:00 PT
Sprint Qualifying: 21:30 UK / 16:30 ET / 15:30 CT / 13:30 PT

Saturday
Sprint race: 17:00 UK / 12:00 ET / 11:00 CT / 09:00 PT
Qualifying: 21:00 UK / 16:00 ET / 15:00 CT / 13:00 PT

Sunday
Race: 21:00 UK / 16:00 ET / 15:00 CT / 13:00 PT

READ MORE: 'I might get shot for saying this' - F1 champion HATES racing in 2026

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