This weekend’s Miami Grand Prix could be suspended if the weather forecast remains as predicted.
On Saturday morning (AEST), McLaren’s Lando Norris ended Mercedes’ stranglehold on pole position by topping the standings in sprint qualifying ahead of Drivers’ Championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
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The sprint race and qualifying for the main race will take place on Sunday morning, before the Grand Prix on Monday (all times AEST).
Yet the conditions expected in the US city when the race is due to get underway are heavy thunderstorms and lightning.
If that is the case, fans are ordinarily moved out of the grandstands, while the race cannot begin until 30 minutes has passed since the last thunderclap or bolt of lightning.
A longer wait for the start in Miami will further frustrate fans — who have already had to wait five weeks for the next Grands Prix due to the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races being cancelled in April.
But the FIA remain confident the Grand Prix will go ahead — and even have a back-up plan.
Formula 1’s governing body said: “We are closely monitoring the weather forecast for this weekend.
“Having faced a similar situation last year in Miami with threats of thunderstorms, we have a contingency plan in place and will activate it if needed to minimise disruption to the on-track programme.”
Antonelli, 19, leads Mercedes teammate George Russell by nine points in the Drivers’ Championship as he seeks a third successive Grand Prix victory this weekend.
Reigning champion Norris and four-time winner Max Verstappen are both without podiums in 2026.
Australian Oscar Piastri, who qualified third for the Miami sprint race, did not complete a lap in the opening two Grands Prix, but bounced back with a second place in Japan before the extended hiatus.
