Miami Track Preview
- therookiereporters
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
We leave the blossoming Japan behind us and look to the sunshine state of Florida ready for our Miami Grand Prix. Before our cars take to the tarmac here is what you should know about Miami.
Track Facts
The Miami Grand Prix is a fairly new addition to our calendar having joined in 2022. With 57 laps or 308.326km of racing action we are going to be on the edge of our seats. Our fastest lap was set by Max Verstappen in 2023 at 1:29.708s but can the cars from this new era beat this record time?
2025 Recap
Last year marked the first anniversary of Lando Norris’ maiden win and in an even faster McLaren he was looking to take back-to-back wins here however that wasn’t the case as his teammate, Oscar Piastri would see the chequered flag fall first, claiming his fourth win that year. The McLaren team took a 1-2, extending their lead in the constructors championship. Joining the papaya pair on the podium was George Russell but he finished 37s behind Piastri proving just how fast the team were in 2025. Our defending champion at the time was Max Verstappen and he had a difficult weekend struggling for pace despite this he still dragged his Red Bull to P4. Down at the Tifosi garage there was a tension building as both Charles and Lewis placed in the latter half of the points (7th and 8th); the team still unsure and frustrated with their Ferrari challenger. In the year of the rookies we saw unfortunate retirements for Jack Doohan, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson. Doohan suffered a front-left puncture from first lap contact with Lawson who retired due to floor and sidepod damage from the incident while Bearman was haunted by a mechanical gremlin and Bortoleto experienced a sudden loss of power making it unsafe for him to continue.
Weekend Schedule (track time)
Free Practice 1:
Friday 1st May 12:30 - 13:30
Sprint Qualifying:
Friday 1st May 16:30 - 17:14
Sprint:
Saturday 2nd May 12:00 - 13:00
Qualifying:
Saturday 2nd May 16:00 - 17:00
Grand Prix:
Sunday 3rd May 16:00- 18:00
2026 Expectations
Mercedes have dominated the first 3 races of 2026 and are expected to get gold again in Miami but which driver will it be? George Russell has been with Mercedes for many years alongside Lewis Hamilton so many believe he will be the one to prevail for the driver’s championship or at least favoured if there is a team battle. Kimi Antonelli on the other hand is only on his 2nd year in the sport but that doesn’t seem to be a disadvantage for him after taking his maiden win in Shanghai and then making it back-to-back wins in Suzuka - Ascari being the last Italian to take back-to-back wins 73 years ago, Antonelli is a real talent and definitely will give George a run for his money this season.
Ferrari have been the second best team in 2026 so far with them consistently being on the podium, which is a drastic turn around from their torrid time in 2025. The Tifosi don’t seem to have the same race pace as the Mercedes but with the regulation change set to be implemented this summer could they take over the glory? Another chapter of the 2026 Formula One Season will be added in Miami but until we get to Abu Dhabi we will have to wait for the story to be complete!
Article written by Alice Seager ©️Alice Seager 2026
