Formula One officials announced Thursday that drivers will receive an additional 30 minutes of practice time ahead of the Miami Grand Prix scheduled for May 3rd, following a month-long break in racing and recent safety modifications to competition rules.
The fourth round of the championship marks the sport’s return after Middle Eastern races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled due to the Iran conflict, creating an unusual gap in the racing calendar.
During the racing hiatus, officials implemented technical rule modifications to address safety concerns and competitive issues that emerged during the season’s opening three events.
The International Automobile Federation announced that following discussions with all involved parties, Friday’s practice session will be extended from one hour to 90 minutes, running from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. local time.
Officials cited several factors for the decision: the extended time since the last race, the recent rule adjustments, and Miami’s sprint weekend format. The compressed schedule includes just one practice session before Friday’s sprint qualifying, followed by Saturday’s 100-kilometer sprint race and Sunday’s qualifying for the main event.
Mercedes has dominated the early season, capturing victories in all three completed races, with Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli currently sitting atop the championship standings.
