F1 2026: FIA confirm Miami Grand Prix schedule change after race cancellations

Piastri during practice in Miami — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

FIA confirm Miami Grand Prix schedule change after F1 race cancellations

F1's governing body have announced a scheduling tweak ahead of the Miami GP

Originally written by Vincent Bruins. This version is a translation.

Friday 24 April 2026 21:00

F1's governing body, the FIA, have announced a decision which will impact the already jam-packed schedule at next weekend's Miami Grand Prix.

Friday’s free practice session at the Miami International Autodrome will be extended by an extra 30 minutes following the unexpected cancellation of races that hit the sport in April.

F1 and FOM moved to cancel both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with no replacement races selected.

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As a result, there will have been a five-week gap between the Japanese GP last time out and the next round in Florida, leading the FIA to decide that teams and drivers should have 90 minutes to get acquainted with their machinery again instead of the usual 60 minutes to fine-tune their cars.

The governing body also made the change in response to a combination of substantial technical updates and the sprint weekend format used in Florida, with an official FIA statement announcing that the schedule for Friday, May 1, has been adjusted to better accommodate the teams.

FIA announce F1 format change for upcoming sprint weekend

"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."

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.

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