Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Ferrari will finally unleash their ‘complete’ 2026 car at Miami Grand Prix after successful test.
Ferrari’s vision for their 2026 Formula 1 car will finally be realised at the Miami Grand Prix next weekend, according to a report. The landscape at the front of the grid could change as Mercedes’ rivals ready major upgrades.
26 Apr 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari expect to show their ‘true potential’ at the Miami Grand Prix. While Ferrari’s Monza test was nominally a ‘filming day’ – each team is allowed two such promotional outings every year – they used it to test a raft of car developments, most notably an updated ‘Macarena’ wing.

The rotating wing left fans, and even some rival teams, stunned, but it hasn’t yet been used in a competitive session. That could yet change during the Miami Sprint weekend. According to Motorsport IT, Ferrari will ‘finally’ unleash a ‘complete’ version of their 2026 car in Florida. Loic Serra and his design team are optimistic that they can display the ‘true potential’ of their concept.

The Scuderia are about 25 horsepower down on Mercedes, which puts extra pressure on the aerodynamic department to close the gap. Ferrari don’t anticipate a significant engine upgrade until July, even though they will likely have access to Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) under the new rules. It’s estimated that Ferrari have changed almost half of their car since Japan, though it remains to be seen whether McLaren and Red Bull will bring similarly transformative upgrades.

‘The landscape at the front of the grid could change’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...ccessful-test/


F1TECH: How has Ferrari updated its Macarena rear wing?
27 Apr 2026
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

During the Monza filming day, Ferrari tested what sources describe as a “significantly” updated version of the wing. According to the reports the Scuderia has reworked the endplates, modified the actuator integration, and adjusted the geometry of the upper elements to improve airflow management and mechanical robustness.

Key visual differences between Macarena V1 and V2
More squared off endplates
The V2 endplates adopt a sharper, more angular profile, replacing the rounded contours of the original design.
Repositioned pylons for structural rigidity
The support pylons have been shifted to improve load distribution and reduce flexing at high speed—an area Ferrari had been refining since the wing’s first appearance.

Smaller, steeper internal accents
The accents inside the endplates are now smaller and angled more steeply downward at their initial section, helping condition the airflow feeding the rotating flap.
New vertical flap on the third element
A distinctive vertical flap has been added to the centre of the third element, improving stability in the inverted profile configuration that defines the Macarena concept.

‘Key visual differences’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/28451


Tifosi forced to wait for new Ferrari engine amid Mercedes fight
Ferrari may not be ready to unleash a new power unit before summer, but Hamilton’s extra Fiorano mileage still offers value
25 Apr 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Ferrari fans, affectionately dubbed Tifosi, may be forced to wait until July to see the Scuderia debut a new engine as part of the FIA Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) initiative amid their fight against Mercedes. This means that the earliest chance for the new ICE to be fitted to the Scuderia‘s SF-26 challengers would come at Round 9 of the season, at the British Grand Prix from July 3-5 but it could also be as late as the Hungarian GP too.

This is because the FIA regulations restrict teams to four power units per season or they suffer the risk of incurring grid penalties, so in a bid to stretch the engines across the remaining 22 races, the team are expected to only debut their second-round ahead of the Barcelona GP (June 14). In line with their current path, that would place the third power unit, the one expected to carry the ICE upgrade, around the time of July – with a fresh PU needed ahead of power circuits such as British GP, Belgian GP, Italian GP and Azerbaijan GP.

‘Tifosi, may be forced to wait until July’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/fer...ercedes-fight/


Ferrari spark Tifosi intrigue with mysterious social media teaser
25 APR 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Ferrari have sparked curiosity among fans by hinting at an announcement set for April 30 through a post shared across their social media channels. As they prepare to pack their bags for Miami, the Maranello outfit has teased its fans with a cryptic 13-second video shared across its social channels, featuring Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc and ending with a date: April 30.

Ferrari tease fans with cryptic video ahead of Miami GP: The short clip has sparked plenty of speculation among fans, with some suggesting the timing could point to Miami-themed merchandise, or even a special livery, while others believe it could be something entirely unrelated. The mystery will be revealed in just a few days.

‘Tifosi intrigue’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/ferra...ial-media-post


Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lap times leaked as Ferrari test 'major upgrade' at Monza
Ferrari are going all out in Miami, and we've got our first signs of what to expect.
23 Apr 2026
Ben McCrum
SPORTbible

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been testing out Ferrari's new upgrades in Monza, and the lap times have emerged online. Ahead of bringing he upgrades to an actual race weekend, Ferrari has been testing them during a day on their home track, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. As reported by Autoracer, the Ferrari completed the 200 km at Monza with both Hamilton and Leclerc completing laps on the Monza track.

In total, Leclerc completed 19 laps with a fastest time of 1:27.138 meanwhile Hamilton put in a faster time of 1:26.585 after completing 15 laps testing the new upgrades. Comparatively, Max Verstappen's pole lap time at Monza last year was 1:18.792, nearly eight seconds faster than Hamilton's lap during the test.

Meanwhile Leclerc qualified in fourth with a 1:19.007 time with Hamilton just one place behind him with a 1:19.124 lap. Of course, race times from last year will have been achieved with different tyre setups and lower fuel than Ferrari's test laps.

‘Lap times leaked’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/lewis-...20421-20260423


Juan Pablo Montoya believes new F1 regulation changes will ‘take away’ key Ferrari advantage
26 Apr 2026
Aaditya Krishnamurthy
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari could lose key advantage over Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull due to key regulation change. Juan Pablo Montoya spoke on his show with AS Colombia about the recent changes made to start procedures under the new F1 regulations. He believes that the adjustment to the energy deployment levels at the start of races is bound to hurt Ferrari and help Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren going forward.

“Personally, I think the changes at the starts, and how they are going to adjust the energy at the starts, is going to help Mercedes. It removes a disadvantage they had. And not just Mercedes as a team, but all cars with a Mercedes engine. So not the team itself, but the power unit. If you look at the starts of most Mercedes cars, they weren’t strong. And Red Bull’s starts were often not good either, or not bad, but inconsistent. And this takes away a bit of an advantage from Ferrari in the opening phase.”

‘Bound to hurt Ferrari’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...ari-advantage/


Lewis Hamilton takes aim at 'certain individuals' after 2025 horror
Seems like Lewis Hamilton was far from happy with those who dared to suggest last season he was finished in F1.
24 Apr 2026
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Lewis Hamilton has conceded to taking great delight in silencing "certain individuals" who believed his F1 career to be finished as he endured a torrid debut season with Ferrari last year. Although not naming names, taking aim at those who dared to suggest he was on his way out, speaking to F1, Hamilton said: "When you have difficult years, there are a lot of questions all over the place.

"Ultimately, I saw certain individuals who haven't had anywhere near the success that I've had, just talking negatively, as they continue to do. And it felt great to be able to come back, to come into this season, and start strong, to be able to show that I still have what it takes to compete at the front. I'll continue to try and show up and deliver in that way."

‘Taking great delight in silencing certain individuals’;

https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hami...er-2025-horror

[Fortitude]

Red Bull tipped to be the ‘big surprise’ in Miami after what Max Verstappen did during April break.
Red Bull have been tipped as the ‘big surprise’ of the Miami Grand Prix thanks to what Max Verstappen did during Formula 1’s April break.
28 Apr 2026
Marcus Chan
F1 Oversteer

Speaking on the recent episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel claimed that Red Bull could be the ‘big surprise’ of the Miami Grand Prix. The Dutchman stated that Verstappen was able to race during the break due to his GT3 commitments, but other F1 drivers have ‘taken on a bit of rust’. Coronel explained: “Red Bull, one hundred per cent. Max was able to continue driving well, so he is still sharp. The rest has taken on some rust.”

“And we know that many changes have been made to the RB22, including weight reduction. So Red Bull are just the big surprise.” Dutch F1 journalist Ruud Dimmers also agreed with Coronel as he stated that the Red Bull RB22 ‘can’t get any worse’. He said: “At Red Bull it just can’t get any worse. If that car is a little better again and Max feels more comfortable in it, he will also perform better again.”

“The rest has taken on some rust”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...g-april-break/


Red Bull ready ‘central’ Miami Grand Prix upgrades to address ‘fundamental’ RB22 weight disadvantage
28 Apr 2026
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Weight reduction is ‘central’ to Red Bull’s Miami Grand Prix upgrade plan. Verstappen called his Red Bull “undriveable” in Japan owing to its chronic balance problems, while Hadjar branded the RB22’s chassis “terrible”. They encountered understeer on turn-in, oversteer under acceleration, and Red Bull’s 2026 F1 regulations chassis is also overweight.

So, according to RacingNews365, Red Bull have made reducing the weight of the RB22 with their upgrades at the Miami GP the ‘central’ part of their plan. It is a ‘fundamental’ issue as Verstappen and Hadjar are at a disadvantage in several ways that Red Bull hope to address. Red Bull have used the break since the Japanese Grand Prix to design new components that look ‘identical’ but weigh a lot less than before. The team hope that the updates make their chassis lighter and also improve their energy efficiency, before any major changes are ready.

It has been said since the 2026 season started in Australia in March that the Red Bull RB22 is around 10kg overweight, which equates to a loss of almost three-tenths of a second per lap. Hadjar qualified P3 in Australia, but was 0.785s off the pole position time George Russell set. Qualifying proved to be a much bigger problem for Red Bull in China and Japan, with Alpine ace Pierre Gasly able to out-qualify Verstappen and Hadjar at both rounds. Verstappen in P8 was 0.938s off pole in China as the lead Red Bull and Hadjar was 1.2s off pole in P8 in Japan. Verstappen even failed to reach a Q3 session at Suzuka for the first time since 2015 with his P11 during qualifying for the 2026 Japanese GP.

‘Weight reduction is central’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...-disadvantage/


Hamilton tipped to unleash Ferrari surge amid predicted Miami breakthrough
28 Apr 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Martin Brundle has backed Lewis Hamilton to deliver stronger results and potentially mount a race-winning challenge, predicting that Scuderia Ferrari will be more competitive at the Miami Grand Prix.

“Lewis clearly enjoys these cars much more. Ferrari is more competitive, and I think again will make a big step for Miami. Lewis obviously prefers this type of car to the seasons we had with the ground-effect cars that were smashing against the ground and were quite brutal things; it didn’t seem to suit his style. But just his mood and the way he’s going about it, he just seems a lot happier because Ferrari is more competitive,” Brundle said to Sky Sports News.

Hamilton must first overcome teammate Charles Leclerc if he is to mount a serious challenge, while still refusing to rule out race wins for the Briton. “He’s got to beat Charles Leclerc if he’s going to win the world championship in the other Ferrari, and others. Let’s see if he can sustain that. If there’s a sniff of a victory, I think Lewis is still very much capable of taking that,” he concluded.
‘Hamilton tipped to unleash Ferrari surge’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...i-breakthrough


Martin Brundle expects F1’s rule changes for Miami Grand Prix to be ‘story of the season’
28 Apr 2026
Ashley Hambly
F1 Oversteer

F1 icon Martin Brundle was initially asked if he thinks the amendments have the potential to change the competitive order of the grid, to which he replied, “Yes, I think it can. It’s more like a relaunch of the season, frankly, to get it right. I think it’s going to be the story of the season, actually, with such a massive change that we’ve had for 2026. So, I’m really looking forward to it.” Brundle was also asked whether he thinks it will satisfy the grid’s occupants, given the vocal outcry from some of F1’s biggest stars regarding the 2026 ruleset.

“It’s quite clear that the drivers who have got fast cars and are winning are somewhat more satisfied than those drivers who are not,” Brundle answered. “So, uh, I guess that’ll carry on. There’s always a huge amount of unintended consequences in anything you change in Formula 1; it’s a pretty complex business. So what we are in the process of is smoothing out the power delivery of these complex hybrid cars, and I think it will be a step forward, as the drivers are concerned about closing speeds.”

“We always did have that sort of thing; if somebody missed a gear in front of you, for example, back in the day when you shifted your own gears or suddenly blew up. But back then, you could smell a little bit of oil or hear the engine or whatever. Obviously, you can’t see that now, with a lot of it being it battery driven. So yes, in summary, it will improve the racing. It will improve the cars, but I’m sure there’s more to be done yet.”

“There’s always a huge amount of unintended consequences”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...of-the-season/


FIA confirms rejection of proposed radical F1 engine solution
28 Apr 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

The FIA has confirmed it has rejected a proposal to cut power to Formula 1‘s much-maligned 2026 power units ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix. Detailing the rationale, Tombazis confirmed the rejected proposal cut could have lessened reliance on energy deployment. “We knew that from day one of these regulations, and I think we’ve worked to mitigate a lot of these compromises.”

“One of the reasons it hasn’t been right there from the start, is that the cars are going a bit faster, have found a bit more downforce than we were expecting, and therefore their energy recovered during braking is a bit lower than it would normally be, so we have a bit more of a challenge than we would have liked to have.”

“We did propose the reduction of power about a year ago, and it was rejected. The point there was that we were going to wait for the first few races, which is what we did. Now, is that the final time we talk about it? I don’t think so. We will continue monitoring whether there will be extra additions that would have to be further discussed.”

“We will continue monitoring”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...gine-solution/


Aston Martin hit with blunt Honda verdict ahead of Miami Grand Prix
28 Apr 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Honda chief Shintaro Orihara has delivered a measured outlook on what to expect from Aston Martin at the Florida event. “It has been a long but intense period between the races, with lots of work happening in collaboration with the Aston Martin team both in Japan and in the UK.”

“The Japanese Grand Prix showed that the work is going in the right direction and helped us to find the motivation to keep pushing forward. After that race, we took the opportunity to keep one of the AMR26 cars on site for further static testing in Sakura for the first time, focusing our efforts on reducing vibrations and thus increasing reliability.”

“We have made some progress, allowing us to implement further countermeasures in Miami and later in the season. Realistically, this progress will not have a visible impact on the power unit performance on track, so we shouldn’t be expecting big jumps forward here,” he said via a press statement.

‘Hit with blunt Honda verdict’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/aston...ami-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

The Miami Grand Prix is at serious risk of being cancelled.
Florida is predicted to suffer heavy rainfall during the race weekend with thunderstorms threatening to disrupt proceedings.
30 Apr 2026
Rosie Cowell
Give Me Sport

There is a 70% chance of rain looming, coinciding with the start of the race. Rain after lights out always adds an intriguing jeopardy, testing the drivers' skills and nerve to remain on the circuit. However, there's a thin line between challenging and dangerous and the FIA will need to strike that balance carefully.

The intensity of the rainfall is causing concern, as if it is too extreme, the FIA helicopter will struggle as it must be able to take off in an emergency. There is good reason for this. Jules Bianchi's death at Suzuka in 2014 stemmed from his loss of control in the wet, which caused him to collide with a recovery vehicle. The visibility had been extremely limited, so Bianchi was taken to hospital by ambulance despite the confirmation that this would impact his prognosis.

The racing world was devastated by the loss of the 25-year-old, with the FIA implementing a measure to ensure a helicopter can always escort drivers to the nearest specialist centre in the case of surgery or specialist treatment being required. In the past, the FIA have seen fit to cancel practice and qualifying sessions if this regulation cannot be fulfilled. The weather looks to be more settled for Friday and Saturday, but lingering doubts are still cast over the race.

‘Serious risk of being cancelled’;

https://www.givemesport.com/miami-gr...ancelled-risk/


Miami Grand Prix ‘far from certain’ to take place as planned with ‘severe thunderstorms’ forecast
29 Apr 2026
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

The Miami Grand Prix is under threat due to Sunday’s weather forecast, according to a report from the German press. According to sport.de, ‘alarm bells are ringing’ over the forecast for this weekend. Strong winds and ‘severe thunderstorms’ are due to hit the area on Sunday. Conditions are expected to ‘worsen’ in the afternoon and the race is currently scheduled for 4pm.

Last year, the F1 Sprint at Miami was delayed after complaints from the drivers on the formation lap. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed on his way out of the pits due to aquaplaning. The 2026 cars haven’t yet raced in wet weather. As part of the pre-Miami changes, maximum energy deployment will be reduced in the rain to improve car control. Teams can also set their tyre blankets to a higher temperature, which should mean that the initial grip level is higher.

‘Alarm bells are ringing’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mia...orms-forecast/


The potential cancellation threat looming over F1 Miami GP
29 Apr 2026
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

The 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix is at risk of cancellation due to adverse weather conditions descending on the Sunshine State. The potential of adverse weather conditions is threatening to derail the weekend before a wheel has turned in anger. Heavy rain including thunderstorms is forecast to fall at the Miami International Autodrome, with a 70 per cent chance of rain at the start, which could spice up the action.

Should the rain intensity prove to be as bad as predicted, this will cause issues for the FIA helicopter, as it must always be ready to take off in an emergency. Practice and qualifying sessions in previous seasons have been cancelled in the past, as should a driver require surgery or specialist care, it is imperative that the helicopter can take a driver away to the nearest specialist centre.

‘Risk of cancellation’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...r-f1-miami-gp/


F1 Miami Grand Prix weather: Rain set to dampen return to action
The fulll weather forecast for the Miami Grand Prix
29 Apr 2026
Sam Hall
Crash.Net

Formula 1 returns to action this weekend with the Miami Grand Prix, with rain set to fall on race day. Miami has previously thrown up some spectacular action when the weather has been involved, and it looks likely that this will be the case once again.

Adding a further complication, the weekend will be run to a sprint format, giving teams just one practice session to get the car setups sorted, while also learning the effect that a number of tweaks to the regulations will have on their energy deployment, and cars in a wider sense. As a result of this elongated to-do list, practice has been extended by 30 minutes, to a 90-minute duration.

With the threat of thunderstorms that could affect the planned schedule on Sunday, an FIA spokesperson told Crash.net: "We are closely monitoring the weather forecast for this weekend. Having faced a similar situation last year in Miami with threats of thunderstorms, we have a contingency plan in place and will activate it if needed to minimise disruption to the on-track programme."

‘Threat of thunderstorms’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109373...-return-action


Extreme conditions forecast for Miami GP as McLaren highlight 'significant step' - RacingNews365 Review
Catch up on the biggest news stories of the day with the RacingNews365 Review!
29 Apr 2026
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

The Miami Grand Prix is facing the increased possibility of disruption due to heavy thunderstorms ahead of Sunday's race and F1's return to action. At the time of writing, 0600 ET/ 1100 BST, on Wednesday, April 29th, the current forecasts are for heavy thunderstorms to blow through the city on Sunday morning ahead of a 16:00 local time start of round four of the 2026 season.

McLaren will make a "significant step" forward in unlocking performance from its Mercedes F1 power unit in Miami, after early teething troubles. In the first three races of the season, the team felt it was on the backfoot in understanding its Mercedes HPP unit, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failing to start the Chinese GP owing to power unit electrical glitches pre-race.

'Significant step';

https://racingnews365.com/extreme-co...news365-review


What is the weather forecast for the Miami Grand Prix?
The weather forecast is in ahead of the fourth race weekend of the season from Miami.
29 Apr 2026
Formula One - Official Site

SUNDAY, MAY 03 – RACE
Conditions: Race day is expected to experience warm conditions. Temperatures will range from 22°C in the early hours to a peak of 28°C, with a track temperature of 37°C. Winds will blow at an average of 10.4 km/h, gusting up to 36 km/h, and drivers should prepare for fluctuating conditions due to possible showers and changing wind speeds.
Maximum temperature expected: 28 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 22 Celsius
Chance of rain: 30%

‘The weather forecast’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...K3rExPLuiqrbTW


FIA confirms Boost Mode ban for wet races before Miami GP
30 April 2026
Jawad Yaqubon
Motorsport Week

The FIA has confirmed an immediate ban on boost mode usage in wet conditions ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, following driver concerns over the behaviour of the 2026 Formula 1 cars in low-grip environments. The revision removes a key overtaking tool whenever track conditions are classified as wet. A new technical directive states that boost mode “will be inhibited and is not allowed” in these scenarios, eliminating access to a system capable of delivering up to 350kW of additional power.

The decision is linked to the characteristics of the current hybrid power units, which produce immediate torque through their electrical systems. Drivers have reported that this delivery can trigger instability, particularly on corner exit, with the risk amplified on damp or wet surfaces. With boost removed, energy deployment in wet conditions will instead be controlled through standardised engine maps rather than driver-activated systems. This change is intended to produce a more predictable power curve and reduce sudden spikes in acceleration.

‘Immediate ban on boost mode usage in wet conditions’;

https://f1chronicle.com/fia-ban-boos.../?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

Kimi Antonelli expects Mercedes' rivals to close gap at Miami GP.
Kimi Antonelli holds the top spot in the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship standings, but the youngster appears to hold no illusions that he and Mercedes will run away from the pack.
30 April 2026
Field Level Media
Miami Herald

Kimi Antonelli spoke to reporters Thursday ahead of the Miami Grand Prix and predicted a close battle when the rubber hits the road this Sunday. "It's going to be a very interesting weekend for us," the 19-year-old Italian said. "Let's see how we do. For sure, (our rivals are) going to get closer, and we might have to fight quite a bit more this weekend, but we'll do our best and we're going to keep our heads down.”

"On my side, I'm going to try to maximize the performance in the car, I'm going to do my best and we'll see what the result will be." Antonelli said Mercedes has been clear with both drivers about how they're expected to handle themselves as they jostle for a championship. "They said we can race each other, but obviously with respect, not doing any stupid things between each other," Antonelli said.

"At the end of the day... We race for each other, we want to win, we want to be the best, but at the same time we want the best for the team as well. Me and George are very well aware that we can race each other, but with respect, and without trying to do any stupid things. The team has given us the green light, because they want to give both of us the same opportunity. They said we can race each other, but just be clean."

"It's going to be a very interesting weekend for us";

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/n...mainstage_card


Why lift and coast in qualifying 'should no longer be a thing' at the Miami GP
30 Apr 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

McLaren's technical director for performance, Mark Temple, has explained why drivers' frustrations with having to lift and coast during qualifying should be eased thanks to the latest tweaks introduced for this weekend's Miami Grand Prix. After a series of April meetings, F1 stakeholders agreed on a set of revised rules to be introduced in Miami, addressing concerns around qualifying, racing, and safety. Among the changes are a reduced recharge in qualifying, increased super-clipping power, a boost cap of +150 kW, as well as aids to slow race starts.

The former two - a reduced harvesting limit from eight megajoules (MJ) to seven, and an increase in super-clipping power from 250kW to 350 - are changes focused on by McLaren's Temple, who believes the need to lift and coast in qualifying should now be a thing of the past. "The biggest impact is from a driving point of view. The idea is to get rid of some of these things that the drivers don't like doing in qualifying. The idea of the car coasting for a long period of time into the high-speed chicane rather than a more natural feeling of staying on full throttle and then braking harder.”

"There are two parts to it. One of them is what we call lift and coast, which should no longer be a thing in qualifying, which is where the driver actually lifted off the throttle and then coasted into the braking zone and then hit the brakes. We've now got a situation where it's more efficient and that's controlled by the power unit, so the driver can stay at full throttle and the power unit will recover the energy, straight mode will stay active, so the car slows down less."

“Get rid of some of these things that the drivers don't like doing in qualifying”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/why-l...t-the-miami-gp


Alonso fires reality check as FIA rolls out regulation changes in Miami
30 Apr 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Fernando Alonso has struck a pessimistic tone about the impact of the changes made to F1’s regulations ahead of the Miami Grand Prix weekend. Speaking to GPblog and other media at the Miami Grand Prix media day, the Aston Martin driver said: “Let’s wait and see. I think on the regulation change, let’s wait and see. I don’t think that it will completely change what we saw in the first three races, to be honest. This power unit and these regulations will always reward going slower in the corners, because you have more energy.”

“So the small tweaks can improve a little bit the clipping, which, again, I’m not sure. If we go back to Suzuka, where I spoke with the team and we race with the current rules, we will have more clipping than what we had in Suzuka, so it’s a little bit contradictory what I read in the last few weeks and what I heard today.” The two-time world champion doubled down on his cautious stance, stressing that a clearer assessment will only come once he gets behind the wheel. “That’s why I need to see on track how it feels for us in particular.”

‘Alonso fires reality check’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/alons...anges-in-miami


Steiner’s bold Verstappen prediction ahead of the Miami GP
30 Apr 2026
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Max Verstappen will join Kimi Antonelli and George Russell on the Miami Grand Prix podium, but he’ll be behind the Mercedes team-mates. That’s former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner’s bold prediction for this weekend’s wet race in the Sunshine State.

Four races into the Formula 1 season, and it seems everyone but Steiner is predicting a big reset in the championship. Steiner, though, reckons Mercedes will still come out on top with Red Bull and Verstappen making big gains to join the team-mates on the podium.

‘Steiner’s bold Verstappen prediction’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/miami-...stappen-podium


Red Bull label Miami GP a 'season reboot' after early 2026 struggles
30 Apr 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has said the upcoming Miami GP represents a "reboot for the season"… In a Red Bull press release, Mekies said: "Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing is excited to be going racing again after the enforced break. There is no denying that these past few weeks have proved useful for teams, the FIA and Formula 1: for the teams to further develop these very new cars and for all three parties to work together to fine tune the regulations based on learnings from the first three Grands Prix."

The Red Bull boss focused on the 'season reboot' at Miami with a degree of optimism, highlighting both Verstappen and Hadjar's role during the five-week hiatus, but wary that rivals will also have had the time to develop more competitive 2026 challengers. Mekies continued: "Effectively, Miami will be a reboot for the season, after this unexpected and exceptionally long hiatus. As for ourselves, everyone has been working flat out in Milton Keynes on the Chassis side and PU side, with Max and Isack also involved.”

"We do not expect to have solved all our issues in one go, however we certainly aim to give Max and Isack a car they will feel more comfortable to push with. Ultimately only the Miami track will reveal the answer to how good a job we have done and how much we still need to find."
Mekies concluded with a special nod to the Miami GP as the first American race for the new Red Bull Ford power unit partnership. "The Miami GP is also the first of three races to be held in the USA this season and is therefore a significant moment for us, as Red Bull Ford Powertrains makes its North American debut."

'Season reboot';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/red-b...2026-struggles


Leclerc cools hype around upgrade wave with brutal Miami pecking order claim
30 Apr 2026
Samson Ero
GPblog.com

Speaking to GPblog, among others, Charles Leclerc suggested that while gaps between teams may narrow, a significant change in the overall hierarchy is unlikely. “It’s going to be pretty unusual to see so many upgrades on so many different teams in a season’s regulations, also for the way the season has been with the five-week break. So I’m pretty sure most people will have kind of new cars here. Whether it will change significantly the pecking order that we have seen since the beginning of the year, I doubt it. We might see fewer or more gaps between some teams. But I don’t know,” Leclerc said.

“I mean, at least for us, there’s McLaren. That was very close in the last few weeks, and last weekend, so I think the package will make a difference on that, hopefully for us, for the better. But when it comes to going and getting Mercedes, I think they were too far ahead for us to actually catch them, only with what we are bringing here. But it’s going to be very interesting. I think it’s going to dictate a lot of what’s going on after that because there will be new directions of development and new things that we might want to explore after the weekend and after having analysed what the other teams will bring.”

‘Leclerc cools hype around upgrade wave’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/lecle...ng-order-claim

[Fortitude]

Miami GP: Leclerc edges Verstappen in single practice session.
Miami Grand Prix practice delivered an early suggestion that that Formula 1’s competitive order may be far from settled, as Charles Leclerc edged out Max Verstappen in a frenetic, extended opening session –while early trouble struck championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
01/05/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

The real pace, however, only emerged in the closing stages. Verstappen was the first to show his hand on soft tyres, jumping to the top with a 1m29.776s. But his advantage was short-lived. Leclerc responded immediately, first reclaiming P1 and then sealing it with a 1m29.310s – aided by a well-timed tow from Lando Norris down the back straight.

Verstappen improved again late on to a 1m29.607s, but it left him 0.297s adrift, settling for second after a session that had earlier seen him complain over the radio about poor gear shifts. Behind the leading duo, Oscar Piastri ensured three different teams occupied the top three, underlining the competitive spread. His 1m29.759s kept McLaren firmly in the mix. Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton followed in fourth, less than half a second off the pace, reinforcing the Scuderia’s encouraging start to the weekend.

For Mercedes, dominant winners of the season’s opening three races, the session proved far less straightforward. Antonelli — fastest overall in the championship standings — could only manage fifth with a 1m30.079s, set on hard tyres before a power unit issue curtailed his running and ruled him out of the crucial soft-tyre phase. Team-mate George Russell slotted into sixth, just behind Antonelli, as Mercedes lacked the final punch seen from Ferrari and Red Bull.

‘Formula 1’s competitive order may be far from settled’;

https://f1i.com/news/563465-miami-gp...e-session.html


Miami GP: Leclerc edges Verstappen in single practice session
01/05/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome, round 4 of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.

2026 Miami Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 results
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:29.310s 41
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.297s 41
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.448s 35
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.467s 35
5 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.769s 24
6 George Russell Mercedes +0.790s 34
7 Lando Norris McLaren +0.898s 35
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.277s 34
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +1.563s 40
10 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.620s 37

‘Free Practice 1 results’;

https://f1i.com/news/563465-miami-gp...e-session.html


Everything that happened in extended, sole Miami GP F1 practice
01 May 2026
SAMARTH KANAL
The Race

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the fastest time of an extended 90-minute first practice session for the 2026 Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix, where 10 of the 11 teams have declared upgrades. Most of the session was spent conducting long runs on hard and medium compounds, and evaluating those upgrades, before the field re-emerged on softs for qualifying runs in the final quarter of an hour. Ferrari looked assured, Leclerc consolidating his advantage on hards to post the session's best time, a 1m 29.310s, on his second push lap on the softest compound.

On hard tyres, Leclerc had been fastest with a time of 1m29.855s, ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and the other Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was second fastest, 0.297s off Leclerc, and the four-time F1 champion looked far more assured than Red Bull team-mate Isaac Hadjar who was ninth, 1.563s off the lead. McLaren declared numerous performance upgrades and it was an encouraging session for the team, with Oscar Piastri 0.448s off the lead in third and Lando Norris 0.898s off top spot in seventh - though he'd surely have been higher up had he not had to abort a lap to avoid Alex Albon's Williams at the hairpin.

Between them were the two Mercedes: Antonelli fifth overall and George Russell sixth - both just over three quarters of a second off the pace. Antonelli had to step out of the car before enjoying any soft-tyre running due to a power unit issue and Russell was anonymous. Alpine was again best of the rest with Pierre Gasly eighth fastest, three places ahead of team-mate Franco Colapinto. They were 1.277s and 1.705s off respectively. Carlos Sainz completed the top 10 for Williams with Albon 12th, the pair separated by under a tenth.

‘The Race Analysis’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...that-happened/


Miami Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc lands first blow in upgraded Ferrari
1 May 2026
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Charles Leclerc and Ferrari set the pace as F1 2026 resumed with Free Practice 1 at the Miami Grand Prix. Max Verstappen finished an encouraging second for Red Bull, the team debuting its take on Ferrari’s ‘macarena’ rear wing. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top three, while Championship leader Kimi Antonelli missed out on a soft tyre run.

There were upgrades galore for Miami. Ferrari has introduced the most of any team with 11. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc wasted no time hitting the Miami track in the updated SF-26 machines. Audi’s new racing director Allan McNish was on the pit wall for the first time, as Audi enters post-Jonathan Wheatley life.

A 1:30.688 from Lando Norris in the McLaren served as an early benchmark. Hamilton’s Ferrari was getting snappy. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine was smelling strange. George Russell wanted some strange turbo noises investigating, as he did his best impression of a steam train on the radio to demonstrate. The hard compound tyre was proving popular in the early stages of FP1.

‘Charles Leclerc lands first blow’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/miami-...026-fp1-report


Every F1 team except Aston Martin brings car upgrades to Miami Grand Prix
1st May 2026
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

All bar one of the 11 Formula 1 teams have brought upgrades for the first event event in five weeks. e only team which has declared no upgrades to its chassis for this weekend’s race is Aston Martin, which has been frustrated by power unit vibration problems since the season began. Honda said it will implement new “countermeasures” to address those problems this weekend.

Championship leaders Mercedes have only brought a modest revision to their W17. Its changes are limited to a reshaped exhaust tailpipes and front brake drums to give minor gains in downforce. In contrast McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari have declared extensive revisions to their cars. Ferrari listed no fewer than 11 different changes to their SF-26. These include revisions to the floor, suspension, rear wing and other surface bodywork as part of a package to generate more downforce and make it more efficient in Straight Mode.

Red Bull have tested a version of Ferrari’s novel rotating rear wing which they have also brought to Miami. The have also reshaped the sidepods of their RB22 and made other changes to the front wing and floor in order to improve the airflow around it. Most of McLaren’s revisions are also aimed at improving their car’s aerodynamic performance. They have made extensive changes to the MCL40’s floor which is designed to work in conjunction with other, more minor changes to improve the car’s performance “across all conditions”.

‘McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari have declared extensive revisions to their cars’;

https://www.racefans.net/2026/05/01/...mi-grand-prix/


Oscar Piastri tempers expectations on McLaren's upgrades at Miami GP
1 May 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

Oscar Piastri has tempered expectations surrounding the extensive upgrade package brought by McLaren to this weekend's Miami GP. The Aussie has said while he hopes to be faster in the US, "it's not going to be enough to challenge Mercedes this weekend." Speaking to media, including GPblog, in Miami, the 25-year-old was asked on what he expects from his team's upgrades this weekend.

He said: "I think hopefully we’ll be faster. Obviously, that’s the plan. We’ll have to wait and see where exactly we come out. I think it’s, again, a step in the right direction for us. It’s not going to be enough to challenge Mercedes this weekend, I don’t think, but it’s definitely in the right direction. Obviously, we’re expecting a lot of other teams to bring upgrades as well, so hopefully ours are better than theirs.”

"That’s the plan. But I think the motivation and the confidence in the team at the moment is high. I think we’re on a good trajectory again. And I think Japan was nice to go into the break with a bit of confidence in showing our potential and hopefully we’ve just added to that now. So hopefully it’s a good step forward."

‘Oscar Piastri tempers expectations’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/oscar...es-at-miami-gp