The Miami Grand Prix will now begin three hours earlier than originally scheduled after Formula 1 and the FIA agreed to a last-minute alteration to the timetable. The decision was made to mitigate the risk posed by thunderstorms forecast for south Florida later on Sunday.
Similar to the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix in comparable circumstances, officials have opted to bring the race start forward. Instead of the planned 4pm local time (9pm UK), the race will now start at 1pm Miami time (6pm UK).
A joint statement from F1, the FIA, and the Miami Grand Prix promoter said: "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. 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 earlier start has also led to multiple changes in the support race schedule. The Formula 2 feature race will now begin at 9:25am local time, following the McLaren Trophy America support race at 8am. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America race has been cancelled to accommodate the other series.
Kimi Antonelli is set to start the F1 Grand Prix from pole position after a superb opening lap in Q3 that eclipsed all competitors' second attempts. Max Verstappen was the only pole challenger to improve on his final run, but still ended up nearly two-tenths of a second behind the Mercedes teenager's benchmark.
This followed a day that saw defending champion Lando Norris claim his first victory of 2026 in Saturday's Sprint race from pole position, leading a McLaren one-two with teammate Oscar Piastri close behind. Charles Leclerc finished third in his Ferrari, marking the first time this year that Mercedes did not have a driver in the top three.
Sprint winner Norris commented: "It was the perfect way to start the weekend. It was hot out there, it was sweaty, but I was still pushing. The car is clearly working significantly better. It's more consistent, more predictable in certain circumstances which is a good thing in any speed or corner... We've taken a good step forward."
