F1 Miami Grand Prix: Will the race time be moved? Get ready for chaos in Florida

Miami Grand Prix

F1 Miami GP: Will the race time be moved? Get ready for chaos in Florida

Thunderstorms are forecast for the Miami Grand Prix this weekend

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 1 May 2026 22:14

F1 returns this weekend after a five-week break for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix - but is the race really at risk of being moved?

While sunshine and high temperatures are expected on the first two days (Friday and Saturday) of competition in Miami, concerns have emerged about potential thunderstorms for the race on Sunday.

Lights out for the Miami Grand Prix is at 16:00 local time, where there is currently 65 per cent chance of rain forecast with thunderstorms expected throughout the race distance.

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At last year's Miami GP, thunderstorms also threatened Sunday's race, where the FIA released their protocol on such an occasion.

They stated that the race would be suspended if lightning was expected at the circuit or its surrounding areas, and that they would guide all track personnel to a 'shelter in place' in a relevant location.

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What happens to Miami GP if there is lightning?

As per The Race, Jonathan Noble also added: "Under local government protocols, if lightning is within the vicinity of the track or about to strike the track, then the event has to stop.

"The spectators and the marshals have to move to cover and they'll have to be taken into the stadium, and the race will have to be stopped."

"The FIA has some contingency plans. There are discussions ongoing with the Miami organisers to sort out some protocols that will be agreed with drivers and teams beforehand.

"We've got a long enough window. There's four hours between the start of the race to sunset to get through the event. There's also some precedent that if the forecast deteriorates over the weekend, maybe into Saturday it's looking worse, it's going to strike around race time, you can move the race.

"It can be moved forwards or backwards to avoid the worst of the weather. The priority is always to get the race to run."

Noble then continued, sharing that the actual risk of a thunderstorm was medium, and that there is more of a chance of a heat hazard at the Miami Grand Prix.

He concluded that it is unlikely the race could be cancelled, and more likely that the forecast of lightning could bring disruption, red flags and a stretched out race. However, everything currently points to the race going ahead even if lightning strikes.

Has the weather ever called for F1 cancellations before?

At the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, qualifying was postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to heavy rain and the track being too wet, with the conditions unlikely to improve.

The reasons the FIA gave were 'poor visibility', 'standing water' on the track and the 'fading light', with the event moved from late afternoon on Saturday to 07:30 Sunday morning.

It was Lando Norris who took pole position on the Saturday at Interlagos in 2024, but Max Verstappen who won the chaotic wet weather race, labelled as one of his best career drives after he battled his way up from P17 to P1.

F1 Miami Grand Prix