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MIAMI — Formula 1 could struggle to complete the entire Miami Grand Prix if severe thunderstorms are forecast for Sunday.
F1’s Miami race is set to start at 4pm local time, but current forecasts suggest rain and storms for most of the day in the area around Hard Rock Stadium, which the F1 circuit snakes around.
According to US law, any outdoor event must be closed if lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius. IndyCar and NASCAR races have been canceled or delayed in the past for similar reasons.
The governing FIA is expected to issue an update on the grand prix timings on Saturday afternoon, giving officials time to assess the forecast before deciding to change the schedule for the following day.
F1 has three support events on race Sunday — a Porsche Supercup race, an F1 Academy race and a Formula 2 race. Sources have told ESPN that the Porsche Supercup race could be canceled and that the F1 Academy and F2 races have moved forward with the possibility of races starting before F1.
Despite rumors to the contrary on social media, multiple senior paddock sources told ESPN that there had been no discussion about running the race on Monday.
If a race is delayed or stopped due to nearby lightning, the FIA will not be able to issue a restart order until 30 uninterrupted minutes have passed without a repeat in the same area.
The FIA will be aware of the light — sunset in Miami is at 7.52pm, but a race cannot be run if visibility drops below a certain level.
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At a competitive level, a wet race would also constitute a first under the new rules. F1’s regulations state that battery boost mode must be deactivated in the wet, while software-determined power deployment within the car is also limited to 250 kW. Straightline mode – another phrase for the aerodynamic devices running on the front and rear of the car – has also been revised slightly.
Speaking ahead of the weekend, drivers expressed some concerns about how the race might be in the rain.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly Veja spoke of his lap in the wet at a scrambling event at Silverstone earlier this year.
“It was 30 degree tire temperature, spinning the wheels in sixth gear,” he said.
“After Maggots, Becketts (corner) — changing underwear every lap! It was the most extreme I’ve ever done in my life.”
Drivers are also unsure whether the wet weather will raise concerns about slowing down in cars.
“Because you don’t have that engine cut (of newer cars) because the batteries … you’re not using as much power. So you can cut less on the straights and get to the end of the straight faster.
“You can find yourself in difficult situations, especially if the drivers are driving with different power unit strategies. You’ve got very little visibility, so the strategy of these rules and something that we have to understand the way out of it.
“Because in the wet we’re really passengers. In the rain it’s not about being brave or not. It’s about staying flat and you hope no car in front of you is slower than you — and you assume they’re going the same speed as you.”
