Miami race brought forward by three hours

Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix faces an uncertain start, with organizers moving the race forward by three hours to 13:00 local time (18:00 BST) to avoid forecast thunderstorms. BBC News reports that this decision, made by F1 and the FIA, reflects a desire to complete the event before the heaviest rain is expected to hit around 15:00 local time.

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I don't know how wet it's going to be. It's going to be a big challenge on race day for everyone to perform, find the limit.

The move sets the stage for a potentially chaotic race, especially for drivers adapting to the new 2026 cars in wet conditions. World champion Lando Norris expressed concerns, stating drivers will be "thrown in at the deep end." The significant electrical power in the new engines, coupled with teams' ongoing struggles to deploy it predictably, could lead to "a bit more chaos," as Norris put it. He acknowledged the challenge of finding the limit and the reduced margin for error in wet weather.

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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.

Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri echoed the sentiment, calling it a "voyage into the unknown." He noted that rain in Miami is typically torrential and highlighted the unpredictability of the power unit's behavior in such conditions. The primary concern for drivers in wet races is always visibility, exacerbated by spray from the cars, and the risk of aquaplaning if standing water becomes too significant. The altered schedule aims to mitigate these risks, though a wet race remains highly probable.

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It's obviously going to be a voyage into the unknown for everybody. When it rains here, it normally is pretty torrential, so it could be an interesting day.