The Miami Grand Prix has been brought forward by three hours to 18:00 BST (13:00 local time) because of the threat of thunderstorms.
The decision was made by commercial rights holder F1 and governing body the FIA on Saturday evening in Miami.
The previous two scheduled grands prix, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, were cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.
FIA and F1 Statement
A statement from F1 and the FIA said the decision to move the race was made because “the weather forecast (predicts) heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon close to the original planned race start time”.
The statement added: “This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the grand prix in the best conditions and to prioritise the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff.”
The aim is to try to finish the race before the worst of the weather arrives, which is forecast to be at about 15:00 local time (20:00 BST), one hour before the original start time.
Norris Anticipates a Challenge
Lando Norris said the Formula 1 drivers will be “thrown in at the deep end” by the expected wet weather on Sunday.
The McLaren driver is one of the vast majority of the grid who have not yet experienced the 2026 cars in wet conditions, following the biggest rule change in the sport’s history.
Norris, who qualified fourth behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, said: “I don’t know how wet it’s going to be.”
He added: “It’s going to be a big challenge on race day for everyone to perform, find the limit.
“Obviously, you can’t afford to make any mistakes. We’re thrown in the deep end, but that’s what we’re here to do. I look forward to it.”
Weather Concerns and Protocols
The change to the start time of the race comes after the previous two scheduled grands prix, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, were cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.
Local laws in the US mean that the race could be suspended if there is a threat of a lightning strike at or around the circuit.
This would be to allow all personnel to “shelter in place”.
A series of protocols have been announced by the FIA defining how that would be administered either before or during the race.
Moving it forward, the race is still likely to be wet, but the hope is the conditions will be acceptable for running the cars.
F1 cars do run in the rain, but the limiting factor is always visibility from the vast amounts of spray thrown up by the cars, as well as aquaplaning if the amounts of standing water are significant enough to force the low-running cars to effectively float on top of water on the trac