Formula 1 officials announced on Saturday that the start of the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday has been moved forward by three hours due to forecasts of severe thunderstorms. The race, the fourth round of the season, will now begin at 1:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. CET) instead of the originally scheduled 4:00 p.m. (10:00 p.m. CET).
In a joint statement, the FIA and race promoters said the decision was made “to ensure the least possible disruption to the race and to provide the largest possible window to complete the Grand Prix under the best conditions, prioritizing the safety of drivers, fans, teams, and personnel.”
Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), who leads the world championship, will start the race from pole position, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) alongside him on the front row. Argentine driver Franco Colapinto (Alpine) will start eighth after recording the best qualifying session of his career on Saturday. Carlos Sainz will start 14th, while Fernando Alonso will begin from 18th place.