Formula One returns this weekend with the Miami Grand Prix after a five-week hiatus, the longest break in the season so far. The pause followed Kimi Antonelli's victory in Japan on March 29, with races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancelled due to the Middle East conflict.
Mercedes have dominated the opening three races under new regulations, with Antonelli winning the last two to lead the standings by nine points ahead of teammate George Russell. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have been the main challengers, while four-time champion Max Verstappen sits ninth and has been critical of the rules, likening them to 'Mario Kart'.
Safety concerns have also arisen, highlighted by Ollie Bearman's high-speed crash in Japan. In response, the FIA, F1, and teams have agreed to tweaks: energy harvesting drops from eight to seven megajoules, hybrid power increases from 250kW to 350kW, and the boost button is capped at 150kW to reduce closing speeds.
The five-week gap has allowed teams to develop upgrades, with major packages expected across the grid in Miami. This weekend is also a sprint event, with an action-packed schedule: practice and sprint qualifying on Friday, the sprint and main qualifying on Saturday, and the 57-lap race on Sunday, all in UK evening times.
