The forecast for Sunday calls for heavy rain at 5pm local time, just an hour after the start of the race. There would also be the option on the table to start the GP two hours earlier
It seems absurd to even talk about bad weather and the possibility of canceling the race under the scorching sun that welcomed the riders to the Miami paddock today. But the weather warning ahead of Sunday is more relevant than ever and the Federation, alongside the teams, is working to be prepared for every option, on a Sunday of great anticipation for the return of the top series to racing after a five-week stoppage. In fact, as the days pass, the percentages of rain and thunderstorms that could hit the Miami circuit on Sunday afternoon do not decrease, after an entire weekend of sun and heat. The peak rainfall is currently expected at 5pm local time, right in the middle of the race, which will start at 4pm.
first time for f1 2026
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There are many points of concern on the FIA’s table at the moment: Miami would in fact be the first wet race of this new generation of single-seaters, with changes just made to the regulations in case of rain to prevent any dangerous situations. Charles Leclerc also spoke on the topic: “The strange thing about these cars is that in the wet you risk arriving at the end of the straight at a higher speed than in the dry, because you don’t have the engine cut that you would have in other conditions, given that the batteries don’t use the same energy in the wet – explained the Monegasque –. You find yourself in complicated situations, with zero visibility, at full speed, just hoping that those in front of you aren’t slower than you or that there aren’t any problems. Before, it was relatively easy understanding certain things, whereas now we pilots no longer become passengers, it’s not a question of courage”. George Russell, however, was much more content with the situation, confident that a solution will be found: “It will be a challenge, because it is the first time for everyone with these cars in the rain, but after all this is Formula 1. Someone asked me if there will be too much power with these single-seaters in the rain. What I think, however, is that we race in Formula 1 and not in Formula 4, and it is normal that these are the fastest cars in the world.”
solutions
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On the possibilities being examined by Formula 1 in the event of bad weather ahead of the race, the FIA intervened: “We are carefully monitoring the weather forecast for this weekend. Having already faced a similar situation last year in Miami, with the risk of thunderstorms, we have prepared an emergency plan which we will activate, if necessary, to minimize interruptions to the program on the track.” According to the rumors that emerged in the paddock, the most realistic option at the moment would be to bring forward the start of the Grand Prix by a few hours: by two hours, with the start at 2pm local time and no longer at 4pm, or even by four, with the start at 12pm local time. In fact, the option of bringing the GP forward by one day would have been discarded, giving up some side events and closing the entire track activity on Saturday. Equally unlikely would be to postpone the Grand Prix to Monday, a solution that would create problems related to television rights and the logistical movements of the teams. The most realistic hypothesis, that of a possible advance of a few hours on the Sunday program, would lead to sacrificing the side races, including the Formula 2 one. Not optimal conditions, which however would be necessary to guarantee the main event, the F1 GP, and avoid the worst case scenario on the table, currently excluded by the FIA: the cancellation of the Grand Prix.
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