The Miami Grand Prix will feature an extended 90-minute first practice session following a five-week break. The change is due to recent regulatory updates and the sprint format's reduced practice time.
When the Formula 1 circus rolls into Miami, it will kick off with a longer than usual opening act. The first practice session of the Miami Grand Prix weekend has been extended to 90 minutes. This adjustment comes as the season resumes after a five-week hiatus.
Scheduled for May 1-3, the Miami GP's Free Practice 1 will now run from noon to 1:30 PM local time. This means everything else on the track before FP1 will start half an hour earlier than originally planned. The FIA confirmed this change, citing the lengthy break since the last race, recent regulatory tweaks, and the sprint weekend format, which naturally limits practice time.
Despite the extended FP1, the rest of the Miami schedule remains unchanged. Sprint Qualifying is set for 4:30 PM on Friday, followed by the second Sprint race of the season at noon on Saturday. Later that day, qualifying for the main event will take place at 4 PM, with the Grand Prix itself slated for Sunday at the same time.
As the fourth round of the championship, the Miami Grand Prix sees Kimi Antonelli leading the Drivers' Championship, with Mercedes on top in the Teams' standings. The extra practice time might just be what teams need to shake off any rust and fine-tune their machines for the bustling streets of Miami.