The FIA has extended Free Practice 1 at the Miami Grand Prix from 60 minutes to 90 minutes and moved the session to 12:00–13:30 local time. The change followed a crunch meeting between Formula 1 and the FIA that produced a series of rule refinements after negative feedback from drivers and fans, and the FIA framed the extension as a sporting and logistical measure rather than a change to competitive formats.

Officials and organizers said the longer opening practice will give teams extra on-track time to reacclimatize and to evaluate setups and updates amid technical tweaks, including adjustments aimed at energy management in qualifying, race-start procedures and wet-weather rules. The extension also responds to confirmed tweaks to the 2026 engine regulations, which organizers say will alter power-unit behavior and require more running to adapt.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said improved simulation tools and closer collaboration with HPP, the power-unit partner referenced in sources, have helped teams better predict power-unit performance, but warned that “simulators can’t replicate every real-world scenario.” To accommodate the change, the FIA moved all track activity that precedes FP1 30 minutes earlier and organizers issued a revised timetable that advances other sessions, including Formula 2, by the same amount.

The rest of the Miami weekend schedule remains unchanged: Sprint Qualifying on Friday at 16:30, the Sprint on Saturday at 12:00, Saturday’s Grand Prix qualifying at 16:00 and the Grand Prix on Sunday at 16:00. The extended FP1 will be the first official F1 track session since the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 after the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races; teams have used filming days and Pirelli tire tests for extra running. Heading into Miami, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship and Mercedes tops the Constructors’ standings. The next event, Montreal, is in three weeks and is also a sprint weekend.