---
title: "F1 returns at the Miami Grand Prix after a five-week break with new rules and upgrades"
publishDate: 2026-04-28T12:12:27.596Z
lastUpdated: 2026-04-28T12:40:37.956Z
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Formula 1 returns this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix after five weeks without racing. The season's fourth round was supposed to be the sixth, but the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April removed two races from the calendar and left a gap that has not been seen mid-season since 1999.
The break has not been quiet. Teams have spent the entire month in their factories working on upgrades. The FIA has rewritten parts of the energy management regulations. And the championship picture, with Mercedes dominant and a 19-year-old leading the standings, is about to be tested against a grid that has had time to reset.
## Why Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled
F1 confirmed the cancellation of both races on 14 March, the morning of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The Bahrain Grand Prix had been scheduled for 12 April, with Saudi Arabia following a week later in Jeddah.
Both countries had been struck by Iranian retaliatory attacks following US-Israeli air strikes, and the FIA judged it unsafe to send personnel and freight to either venue. No replacement races were found. Imola and Portimão were explored as alternatives, but the logistical and commercial challenges of organising a grand prix at short notice made both impractical.
The 2026 season has been reduced from 24 to 22 races. We covered the cancellations in full [when they were confirmed](https://tarmactimes.com/en/f1/articles/f1-bahrain-and-saudi-arabian-grands-prix-officially-cancelled-as-middle-east-conflict-continues/pkrpdn).
## What F1 teams did during the five-week break
Factory shutdowns were not in effect. Unlike the mandatory summer and winter breaks, teams were free to keep working throughout April under the existing $215m budget cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions.
McLaren had already earmarked Miami as an upgrade venue. Team boss Andrea Stella indicated the MCL40 would be substantially new across the Miami and Canada weekends. According to [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13534965/f1-returns-at-miami-gp-with-talk-of-new-championship-starting-with-car-upgrades-expected-as-field-bids-to-catch-mercedes), McLaren are not expecting to be the only team bringing a major package.
Ferrari are expected to make a step too. Martin Brundle told Sky Sports News he believes Ferrari will be among the teams to show significant improvement in Miami.
Aston Martin and Williams, both of whom had difficult opening rounds, will have benefited from the extra development time. For teams struggling with the fundamentally new 2026 cars, a month of uninterrupted factory work is a rare gift.
### FP1 extended to 90 minutes
One practical change for the weekend: Friday's only practice session has been extended from 60 to 90 minutes. The FIA made the decision after consulting with all teams, citing the length of the break and the regulation changes coming into effect.
It is a sprint weekend, which means FP1 is the only free practice session before sprint qualifying on Friday evening.
## F1 2026 regulation changes taking effect at the Miami Grand Prix
The FIA used the five-week gap to push through a package of energy management tweaks, agreed unanimously by all teams and power unit manufacturers on 21 April.
These are not fundamental changes to the 2026 rules. The 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and the MGU-K stays. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis described the adjustments as targeted improvements rather than a rethink, according to [Motorsport.com](https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-rule-changes-ahead-of-miami-gp-explained-whats-changing-and-why/10815017/).
### Super clipping and energy harvesting
Maximum permitted recharge in qualifying drops from 8 megajoules to 7 megajoules. The FIA had already cut it from 9 to 8 ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, as we [reported at the time](https://tarmactimes.com/en/f1/articles/fia-changes-qualifying-energy-rules-ahead-of-japanese-grand-prix-2026/nczpb3). This is a further reduction along the same path.
Less energy to harvest means less time spent lifting off the throttle or super-clipping. The trade-off is slightly slower lap times, with the FIA estimating around one second per lap lost, but qualifying should feel more natural and reward commitment rather than energy management.
Peak super-clipping power has been increased from 250kW to 350kW. That sounds counterintuitive, but the higher power means the car harvests energy faster when it does super-clip, so the total time spent in that mode drops. The FIA expects super clipping to last roughly two to four seconds per lap, down from as much as ten seconds at Suzuka before the Japan tweak.
### Race deployment and boost changes
MGU-K deployment stays at 350kW in sections where the active aerodynamics are open, but is now limited to 250kW in other parts of the lap. Maximum boost power in race conditions has been capped at +150kW.
The aim is to reduce the closing speed between cars deploying and cars harvesting. The safety concern was sharpened by Oliver Bearman's crash at Suzuka, where he came up on Franco Colapinto's Alpine at high speed while Colapinto was harvesting energy. Bearman swerved to avoid a collision, went onto the grass and hit the wall.
### Low-power start detection
A new safety system will be trialled in Miami. If a car has abnormally low acceleration off the line after the clutch is released, the system will automatically trigger MGU-K deployment to help the car move away from its grid position.
The start will not be competitive in those cases. Flashing rear and side lights will warn following drivers. The system is a direct response to the start-related problems several teams have experienced, [including Red Bull](https://tarmactimes.com/en/f1/articles/video-max-verstappens-three-failed-starts-at-australia-china-sprint-and-china-grand-prix/kshmnt), across the opening three rounds.
## Championship standings heading into the Miami Grand Prix
Mercedes have won every race in 2026. All three grands prix, plus the sprint in China. They have locked out the front row in qualifying at every round.
Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers' championship on 72 points after back-to-back wins in [China](https://tarmactimes.com/en/f1/articles/kimi-antonelli-claims-maiden-f1-win-in-china-to-become-second-youngest-winner-in-history/psxmc5) and Japan. At 19, he is the youngest championship leader in F1 history. George Russell, who won the season opener in Melbourne, is second on 63 points.
Charles Leclerc sits third with 49 points. Lewis Hamilton is fourth on 41. Both Ferraris have been competitive in races without finding a way past Mercedes.
Lando Norris is fifth on 25 points after a stronger result in Japan. Oscar Piastri is sixth on 21, with McLaren's electrical problems in China having cost both cars a finish.
Max Verstappen is ninth on 12 points. His frustration with the 2026 regulations has been the other major story of the season so far. After the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen said he is considering quitting F1 at the end of 2026, calling the new cars "anti-driving" and comparing the energy management to "Formula E on steroids." His Red Bull contract runs until 2028 but is understood to contain performance-related exit clauses.
The regulation tweaks coming into effect at Miami are partly a response to the kind of criticism Verstappen and others have made. Whether they go far enough to change his view will be one of the subplots of the weekend.
## Cadillac's first home race in Formula 1
Miami is the first race on American soil for the grid's newest team. Cadillac entered F1 this season as the 11th constructor, backed by General Motors and running Ferrari power units with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez.
Results have been modest so far. Cadillac are tenth in the constructors' standings with no points, their best finish a 13th for Bottas in China. They are hoping to bring their first upgrade package to Miami.
Off the track, the team has set up a free fan hub at Jungle Plaza in Miami's Design District, running across Saturday and Sunday with simulators, merchandise, local food vendors and live race viewing on Apple TV.
Formula 2 is also racing at Miami for the first time, having picked up rounds originally scheduled for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Cadillac's reserve driver Colton Herta, who moved from IndyCar, will race in the F2 field on home soil.
## What to watch for this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix
Rain is a possibility. Current forecasts show a 46% chance of rain at lights out on Sunday, increasing through the afternoon. Miami has produced wet-weather chaos before, and the new energy management rules have never been tested in the rain.
The sprint format compresses the weekend. FP1 on Friday is the only practice session, followed by sprint qualifying that evening. The sprint race is on Saturday afternoon, with grand prix qualifying on Saturday evening and the race on Sunday.
Between the regulation changes, the upgrades across the grid and the weather, Miami is the closest thing to a reset this season will get. Ferrari's Frédéric Vasseur put it plainly before the break: a new championship starts here.