Miami Grand Prix Start Time Moved Forward Three Hours to Beat Incoming Storms
With the risk of lightning holds throughout a stormy Sunday, the FIA, F1, and track promoters made the call to move up the Miami Grand Prix by three hours to increase the chance of running the full race distance.
Miami GP Start Time Moved Forward Due to Storms Chris Graythen - Getty Images The start of the Miami GP has been moved forward by three hours from 4 pm to 1 pm Eastern Time in the face of the expected wet weather on Sunday. The change creates a bigger window in which to get the race successfully completed, even in the face of delays or a red flag. Officially, sunset is at 7:53 pm, and thus, in effect, there are almost seven hours of daylight available.
As explained by Road & Track on Friday , rain on Sunday has been expected all week, but the intensity and exact timing noted in the forecasts have varied. The plan was always to wait until after qualifying for a final review of the forecast, given the requirement to make a definitive call on Saturday evening so that both the teams and fans knew the revised schedule. With the worst of the weather expected for late afternoon and set to impact the original start, it was decided to move it by three hours.
The FIA admits it learned a lesson from the 2021 Belgian GP, when the race was scheduled for the afternoon, but there was no effort to move the start. After lengthy delays, it eventually ran one official lap behind the safety car before a result was declared. The news was confirmed in a joint statement from the FIA, F1, and the race organizers.
"Following discussions between FIA, FOM, and the Miami promoter, the decision hasbeen taken to move the start of Sunday’s Miami GP to 1300 local time in Miami dueto the weather forecast that is expected to bring heavier rainstorms later in theafternoon, close to the original planned race start time. "This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritize the safety of drivers, fans, teams, and staff. " One of the issues was the need to get at least some of the support program in, especially the F2 feature race, given the huge effort to get the series to the USA after the loss of the Middle East events.