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The start of Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix has been brought forward by three hours, with the race now scheduled to begin at 1pm local time.
A severe thunderstorm is forecast for Sunday, and any threat of lightning in the immediate area would severely disrupt the event. F1 stakeholders convened on Saturday evening to evaluate the latest meteorological data, confirming that widespread rain and thunderstorms remain highly probable for later in the afternoon.
Following an intensely hot sprint race and qualifying day – where air temperatures peaked at a blistering 34C – Sunday’s forecast indicates two distinct waves of severe weather. The first round of rain showers and thunderstorms is expected overnight and into the early morning. This will likely be followed by a brief lull during the day, before the risk of severe weather sharply increases in the late afternoon and early evening.
As of Saturday evening, the FIA’s official forecast suggests that the morning rain should be relatively light and less intense. However, the afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected to bring “frequent lightning, brief wind gusts from 50-70km/h, and perhaps small hail.”
Faced with these conditions, decision-makers concluded that advancing the start of the grand prix was the most pragmatic option to mitigate the high risk of disruption. For more context on the situation, read about how the FIA declares official rain hazard for Miami Grand Prix amid severe thunderstorm threat.
"Following discussions between FIA, FOM and the Miami promoter, the decision has been taken to move the start of Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix to 13:00 local time in Miami due to the weather forecast that is expected to bring heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon close to the original planned race start time," read a joint statement from the FIA, FOM, and the Miami Grand Prix.
"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 schedule change has triggered a massive logistical reshuffle for Sunday’s support race programme. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America has been entirely cancelled to clear track time. Meanwhile, the McLaren Trophy America has been bumped up to an 8am local time start, followed by the Formula 2 feature race at 9.25am local time.
Formula 2’s presence in Miami was already a late addition, serving as a replacement for the cancelled rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Given the significant financial and logistical effort required to bring the feeder series to Florida, abandoning another F2 race was deemed highly undesirable by organizers.
Even with the earlier start time, the threat of severe weather remains. If thunderstorms do materialize around the newly scheduled 1pm start, the event can technically proceed. However, strict guidance will be in place to manage any lightning threats – a topic explored further in our piece on how thunderstorms threaten 2026 Miami Grand Prix: what happens if lightning strikes?—and race control retains the authority to suspend the race immediately if necessary.
Crucially, starting the race three hours early provides Formula 1 with a significantly larger operational window to work with, ensuring that if storm disruptions do arrive early, there is still ample time to complete the grand prix safely.
Ciara is a Dublin native, award-winning film producer, podcaster and writer with 20 years of storytelling experience. A lifelong Leinster and Ireland rugby fan, she turned her attention to the grid after moving to Berlin and co-founding Formula Live Pulse. Now, she applies her producer’s brain to Formula 1, navigating the highs of Oscar Piastri’s rise and the unique stress of being an adopted Ferrari fan. She loves talking and talking about F1, if you give her the chance!
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