Miami GP restarts F1 with upgrades

Formula 1 resumes at the Miami Grand Prix on May 1-3 after a five-week break, and the paddock is treating it as the first big development test of 2026. (formula1.com) Miami is round four of the season and the second sprint weekend, with one practice session on Friday, sprint qualifying later that day, the sprint and grand prix qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday. (formula1.com 1) (formula1.com 2) That lone practice session now lasts 90 minutes instead of 60 after the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile approved an extension for Miami following recent 2026 rules changes. (fia.com) (formula1.com) The extra time matters because teams are arriving with upgrade packages under brand-new 2026 chassis and power-unit rules, and sprint weekends usually leave little room to test new parts. (formula1.com 1) (formula1.com 2) (formula1.com 3) Mercedes arrive as the benchmark. Formula 1’s official preview said the team has won all three Grands Prix and the only sprint held so far in 2026. (formula1.com) Kimi Antonelli took the championship lead at Suzuka on March 29 with his second straight win, becoming the youngest points leader in Formula 1 history. (formula1.com 1) (formula1.com 2) Miami’s support bill changed, too. Formula 2 added rounds in Miami and Montreal after the Bahrain and Jeddah events scheduled for April were canceled. (fiaformula2.com) (fia.com) That makes Miami the first Formula 2 stop in North America, with races on the same May 1-3 weekend as Formula 1 around Hard Rock Stadium. (fiaformula2.com) (formula1.com) The bigger question is whether a month of factory work changes the order behind Mercedes, or whether Miami simply confirms the team’s early edge under the new rules. (formula1.com) (formula1.com)