Preview: Miami Grand Prix - track guide, start time, weather, how to watch, prediction

After an unscheduled four-week break, the Formula 1 2026 season resumes in Miami this weekend. 

Mercedes will be looking to continue their early dominance after winning their first three races before the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prixs due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Race Preview

Mercedes eyeing fourth consecutive Grand Prix win

The first three race weekends proved that Mercedes had the upper hand in the early stages of the new set of regulations.

George Russell won the first race in Australia and the sprint in China, before his young teammate, Kimi Antonelli, took the spotlight with Grand Prix wins in Shanghai and Suzuka.

Those victories have propelled the 19-year-old to the top of the world championship standings, giving him a nine-point lead over his teammate ahead of the fourth Grand Prix of the season.

Regulation tweaks

Mercedes may have controlled the first three rounds of action, but arguably, the headlines have been dominated by the backlash to the new set of regulations. 

The energy management required by the new power units had drawn criticism from the drivers, most notably, four-time champions Max Verstappen, who has cast doubt over his future in the sport due to his dissatisfaction with the regulations.

The gap between the Japanese and Miami Grand Prixs, caused by the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, has allowed F1 to make some tweaks to the regulations in a bid to address some of the concerns raised.

The hope is that the changes will give the drivers a greater chance to push to the limit in qualifying and address the safety concern of large speed differentials in races, as was seen with Ollie Bearman's crash with Franco Colapinto in Japan. 

© Imago / DeFodi Images

Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull look to close the gap to Mercedes

Away from the regulation tweaks, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull are among the teams that have brought significant upgrade packages to Miami.

The sprint weekend may hamper their chances of maximising their new packages, but they will be hoping the developments will enable them to close the gap to Mercedes, who are expected to bring their first raft of meaningful upgrades to Montreal in a few weeks. 

Ferrari's driver pairing of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton sit in third and fourth place, respectively, in the standings, and they will both have aspirations of claiming the team's first win of the season this weekend.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri will be aiming to build upon his impressive second-place finish in Japan, while Norris will want to officially launch his season in Miami after finishing in fifth in Melbourne and Suzuka, either side of a double McLaren DNS in Shanghai. 

Red Bull's Verstappen is also looking to instil some impetus into his season, having failed to finish any higher than sixth in the first three races of 2026. 

Track Guide - Miami International Autodrome

© Imago / DeFodi Images

First official Grand Prix: 1987

Circuit Length: 5.412km

Number of laps: 57km

Lap record: Max Verstappen 1:29.965 (2023)

Most race wins: Max Verstappen (2)

The 2026 edition will be the sixth edition of the Miami Grand Prix, which sees drivers race on a purpose-built temporary circuit within the private grounds of Hard Rock Stadium.

The street track features 19 corners and three long straights, which will offer the drivers plenty of opportunities to activate 'Straight Mode'.

Meanwhile, the detection point for 'Overtake Mode' - which can be activated when a car is within a second of the driver in front - is situated between turns 17 and 18 near the end of the lap. 

Verstappen won the first two races at the venue before Norris ended the Dutchman's dominance in Miami with a triumphant performance in 2024.

McLaren also enjoyed success in last year's race, claiming a one-two as Piastri finished over 4 and a half seconds ahead of his teammate.

Miami GP schedule and results

What time does the Miami sprint start?

The sprint will get underway at midday local time on Saturday, making it a 5pm start for viewers in the UK. 

What time does Miami GP qualifying start?

Qualifying will start four hours later at 4pm local time and 9pm BST. 

What time does the Miami GP start?

Sunday's race will get underway at 4pm local time, which will be a 9pm start for F1 fans watching from the UK. 

Miami sprint qualifying results:

1. Land Norris

2. Kimi Antonelli

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Charles Leclerc

5. Max Verstappen

6. George Russell

7. Lewis Hamilton

8. Franco Colapinto

9. Isack Hadjar

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Gabriel Bortoleto

12. Nico Hulkenberg

13. Ollie Bearman

14. Alex Albon

15. Carlos Sainz

16. Arvin Lindblad

17. Liam Lawson

18. Esteban Ocon

19. Sergio Perez

20. Valtteri Bottas

21. Fernandes Alonso

22. Lance Stroll

Miami Grand Prix weather forecast

Saturday

As per the F1 website, the weather on Saturday will be clear and sunny. The air temperature will reach a high of 34°C, while the track temperature is expected to hit 52.1°C. There is no rain currently forecasted for Saturday's action on track. 

Sunday

Sunday's temperature will peak at 28°C and 39.8°C on track. Current forecasts suggest there will be rain and storms, which could affect the running of the race. 

How to watch the Japanese GP in the UK

TV

Sky customers can catch Sunday's race on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1 channels.

Streaming

You can also follow the race on Sky Go and the Sky Sports App. As for non-Sky customers, you can purchase a NOW TV pass to tune into the Grand Prix. 

Highlights

Sky Sports will upload race higlights on their dedicated app and on the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel.

Channel 4 will show sprint and qualifying highlights from 8:30am on Sunday, and race highlights from 1:35am on Monday morning.

We say: Norris to win

Norris has found it tough going in the early stages of the season, but he showed signs of promise with pole in Friday's sprint qualifying, and with McLaren looking a stronger force this weekend, we think the reigning world champion could be the first non-Mercedes driver to win a Grand Prix in 2026.