The FIA has officially announced a schedule adjustment for the Miami Grand Prix after recent disruptions to the Formula 1 calendar.
As part of the change, Friday’s Free Practice 1 session will be extended from the usual 60 minutes to 90 minutes. This gives teams and drivers extra time on track to prepare their cars at the Miami International Autodrome ahead of the competitive sessions.
The revised timetable means FP1 will now run from 12:00 to 13:30 local time. In order to fit in the longer session, all earlier track activities scheduled before FP1 will be brought forward by 30 minutes.
According to the FIA, the decision follows discussions with teams and other stakeholders. Several factors influenced the move, including the gap since the last race, the introduction of new technical and regulatory updates, and the sprint format being used during the Miami weekend.
Sprint weekends typically limit practice time, making it more challenging for teams to properly assess upgrades and fine-tune their setups. By extending FP1, the FIA aims to give teams a better opportunity to gather data and optimize performance.
The additional track time is expected to benefit both drivers and engineers. Drivers will have more laps to adapt to the circuit and evaluate car behavior, while teams can collect valuable data to make necessary adjustments before qualifying and the sprint race.
With many teams bringing upgrades to Miami, the extended session could play a key role in shaping the competitive order. Even a small increase in preparation time can make a significant difference in such a tightly contested sport.
Overall, the FIA’s decision reflects an effort to ensure fairness and maintain a high level of competition despite recent scheduling challenges.