F1 returns at Miami GP weekend

Formula 1 resumes this week at the Miami International Autodrome, where the May 1-3 weekend opens with a Sprint format and Mercedes arrives on top. (formula1.com) Miami is round four of the 2026 season after a five-week gap since the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29. Kimi Antonelli won at Suzuka for Mercedes, ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, and took the championship lead into the break. (formula1.com) (racefans.net) Formula 1’s official timetable lists a 90-minute first practice on Friday, May 1, starting at 12:00 local time, followed by Sprint Qualifying at 16:30. Saturday has the Sprint at 12:00 and Grand Prix qualifying at 16:00, with Sunday’s race set for 16:00 local time. (formula1.com 1) (formula1.com 2) That extra half-hour matters because Sprint weekends usually give teams only one practice session before competitive running starts. Miami’s support schedule also includes Formula 2 practice and qualifying on Friday, a Sprint race on Saturday, and a Feature race on Sunday. (formula1.com) Miami is also the second Sprint venue of the year after Shanghai, and Formula 1 and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile set six Sprint weekends for 2026. The series said Miami and Shanghai are both hosting Sprint weekends for the third straight season. (formula1.com) The competitive backdrop is a Mercedes start that has reshaped the early title picture under Formula 1’s new 2026 rules. Antonelli reached Miami as the youngest championship leader in series history, while Mercedes held the constructors’ lead after wins in Australia, China and Japan. (formula1.com) (racingnews365.com) Sky Sports reported teams are expected to bring upgrades to Miami after the long spring break, with rivals trying to close on Mercedes before the calendar moves to Canada on May 22-24. (skysports.com) (formula1.com) Miami hosted its first Formula 1 race in 2022, and Oscar Piastri won there last season for McLaren after beating teammate Lando Norris and George Russell. This year’s edition starts a three-race run in North America that could show whether Mercedes’ early edge survives the first major upgrade cycle. (formula1.com)