F1 Adjusts Qualifying Schedule for Miami GP After…Read More
Formula 1 has officially confirmed a revised start time for the Miami Grand Prix qualifying session after disruptions earlier in the day forced changes to the weekend schedule. Originally set to begin at 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, qualifying has now been delayed by 15 minutes and is scheduled to start at 4:15 p.m.
The delay stems from an earlier incident during the sprint race, which was significantly affected by adverse weather. Heavy rainfall led to extremely poor visibility on the track, resulting in several issues before the sprint could even begin properly. Among the most notable was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who hit the wall and was forced to withdraw from the race before it officially got underway.
The treacherous conditions caused a red flag and held up proceedings, pushing back the sprint’s timeline and, consequently, the rest of the day’s schedule. As the storm passed and the rainfall subsided, the track conditions steadily improved, allowing the sprint to eventually proceed—albeit under far from ideal conditions at first.
Fortunately, by the time qualifying rolls around, it’s expected that the circuit will have dried sufficiently, making it unlikely that wet weather tyres will be required. This could level the playing field and allow drivers to extract maximum performance from their cars on a dry surface.
One of the standout stories heading into qualifying is Mercedes’ young driver Kimi Antonelli. The Italian impressed with a strong single-lap showing on Saturday, and he’ll be hoping to build on that momentum and potentially challenge for pole position. With the grid looking increasingly competitive and the forecast improving, Antonelli could be in contention to disrupt the expected battle between Max Verstappen and the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The revised qualifying time offers teams and drivers a slightly longer window to prepare, especially important after the chaos of the earlier session. Engineers will now be able to assess how the changing conditions have affected the track surface and make any necessary adjustments to car setups ahead of the all-important qualifying run.
Although the weather threw the day’s schedule into disarray, the slight delay has provided some breathing room for teams to regroup. Fans, too, can look forward to a more stable and competitive qualifying session, with the threat of further rain receding and the prospect of a fully dry track seeming increasingly likely.
With the Miami weekend already offering unexpected twists, the stage is set for an exciting qualifying session that could reshape the grid and heighten anticipation ahead of Sunday’s grand prix.
