2026 Miami Grand Prix

Championship standings

Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship with 72 points, 9 ahead of Russell and 23 ahead of Leclerc. Mercedes lead the Constructors’ with 135 points, 45 clear of Ferrari and 90 ahead of McLaren.

Previous race

At Suzuka, Antonelli won ahead of Piastri — in his first race start of the season — and Leclerc, taking his second consecutive victory. A safety car was triggered on lap 20 when Oliver Bearman crashed heavily at Spoon curve: running behind Colapinto, Bearman was still deploying electrical energy while Colapinto had begun harvesting, creating an estimated 45 km/h speed differential that sent Bearman onto the grass and into the barriers. Antonelli capitalised on the timing to pit under the safety car and emerge with the lead. The win moved him into the championship lead for the first time in his career, making him the youngest World Championship leader at 19 years and 216 days — Italy’s first championship leader since Alberto Ascari led and won in 1953.

Between-race developments

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April, were cancelled following the outbreak of the Iran war, creating a five-week gap between Japan and Miami.

The speed differential that contributed to Bearman’s crash at Suzuka brought the 2026 power unit regulations under immediate scrutiny. The FIA held a review with power unit developers on 9 April, then three further meetings on 15, 16, and 20 April involving team representatives, FIA officials, Formula One Management, and power unit manufacturers. The result: the “super clipping” limit — the rate at which the battery can be charged on full throttle against the engine — is raised from 340 bhp (250 kW) to 470 bhp (350 kW), reducing the phenomenon to 2–4 seconds per lap. The qualifying harvesting limit is cut from 8 MJ to 7 MJ. The free practice session has been extended from 60 to 90 minutes to give teams time to adapt to the changes.

Sprint format

Miami hosts its third sprint weekend, and the second of six on this season’s calendar.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the C3, C4, and C5 compounds — the three softest in their range — for teams to use at the event.

Weather

Heavy rainstorms are forecast for race day, leading officials to bring the start forward from 16:00 to 13:00 local time.

Practice

Leclerc topped the sole free practice session — extended to 90 minutes — ahead of Verstappen and Piastri.