Why a wet F1 Miami GP would be so tricky – FIA addresses key concerns

May 1, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

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During media day for the Miami Grand Prix, two topics dominated discussions with all drivers: the tweaks to the Formula 1 technical regulations and the weather forecast for Sunday. Although several teams have already tested their 2026 cars in the rain, the race in Florida could become the first collective on-track action in wet conditions under the new ruleset.

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If that happens, the first question is naturally how a potential thunderstorm on Sunday could affect the Grand Prix. That question has led to wild speculation about a possible cancellation of the race, but the FIA has clarified that this is certainly not the case as it stands. If a thunderstorm were to hit Miami on Sunday, disruption is a far more likely scenario than cancellation.

Moreover, the FIA still has an action plan from last year to fall back on. Local laws require people to seek shelter in the event of lightning or the threat of it, but that can be done inside the Hard Rock Stadium and the garages. A red flag would therefore be a more likely scenario than a cancellation that has been speculated over.

“We are closely monitoring the weather forecast for this weekend,” an FIA spokesperson said. “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.”

FIA intervention aimed at easing concerns over a wet race

If the on-track action does go ahead as normal and takes place in wet conditions, the logical follow-up question is how the new generation of cars will perform in what will be low-grip conditions.

“I drove the car when we did the shakedown in Silverstone in the wet and definitely it was very tricky,” championship leader Kimi Antonelli said on Thursday. “Although now with the changes, they clipped the power to 250 kilowatts for the wet and no boost, so that’s already a step forward in that regard.”

Antonelli highlights an important point: the FIA intervention during the April break not only concerns overall energy management, but also specific adjustments for wet conditions. In addition to improving visibility via the rear light systems, the FIA can indeed limit MGU-K deployment in “low-grip conditions”, which a wet race in Miami would logically fall under.

Moreover, the updated regulations – now formally ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council – state that boost mode, as Antonelli already indicated, is banned in such conditions, which should alleviate some of the drivers’ concerns.

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Sainz questions partial active aerodynamics

However, this is not the only aspect that drivers raised during media day as a potential concern. Carlos Sainz also spoke out about active aerodynamics. The FIA has the option to implement a partial straight-line mode, which is described in the updated regulations under article B7.1.2b:

“In low grip conditions, only partial activation of the driver adjustable bodywork in the associated low grip activation zones is allowed.”

This means that active aerodynamics at the rear of the cars is not permitted – just as DRS was disabled in the wet in previous years – but that it would be allowed at the front wing. Sainz, however, has his doubts about whether the amount of drag reduction is worth the potential risks.

“There are a few things, like the SLM in the wet only at the front, that I really don’t understand why we have that if it doesn’t reduce the drag much. So yeah, a few things to analyse, to put together, if Sunday is going to be wet, maybe to discuss in drivers’ briefing so we can have all clear in our heads what we should expect and what we should go racing with.”

When asked, the FIA explained that the choice for partial active aero in certain conditions is based on numerous simulations, related to how energy-consuming the cars are. It should also be noted that the amount of drag reduction varies per team, meaning that active aerodynamics – and its effect in low-grip conditions – partly depends on conscious design choices.

The challenge of getting tyres up to temperature

Thirdly, in such conditions it will be a challenge for drivers to get the tyres up to temperature. That is precisely the aspect Antonelli says he is most concerned about.

“I think also another big topic is that we will need to increase tyre blanket [temperatures] for the wet because I think as they are now, probably they will be a bit too low for the conditions. So yeah, it’s going to be interesting to see. Tricky, but let’s see,” the Mercedes driver added.

Kimi Antonelli had a taste of wet-weather running in Silverstone

Pirelli’s tyres remain a question mark in Antonelli’s view, despite the fact that the Italian supplier has been able to complete several testing days in wet conditions while developing the current tyres.

“Definitely it’s going to be very interesting because there’s so much unknown in the wet at the moment, especially as no one really used the inter tyres, so we don’t know how it’s going to feel, how much grip there will be, especially with the new regulation.”

While Antonelli does not specify whether he means full wets or intermediates, it should be noted that the FIA has at least intervened for the latter. As part of the package of measures during the break, the governing body also increased tyre blanket temperatures for intermediates “following driver feedback in order to improve initial grip and tyre performance in wet conditions.”

However, not all drivers know if that will be enough, simply because getting temperature into the tyres with these new cars – which are faster on the straights, but have significantly less downforce and are slower in the corners – is more difficult than before.

“I think also one thing with this year’s cars, it’s a bit harder to build temperature with the tyres, so in the wet they might be tricky,” Antonelli admitted. “And that’s why we probably would need to increase tyre blanket [temps] in order to make it a bit better and a bit easier on that side.”

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly can relate to that. The Frenchman’s thoughts go back to his shakedown in January at Silverstone, where it was not raining at the time, but the conditions still offered extremely low grip.

“It was 30 degrees tyre temperature, wheelspinning even in 6th gear. After Maggots [and] Beckett's, [I had to] change underwear every lap. It was the most extreme I've ever done in my life, so after that I feel pretty prepared for any conditions that I'm going to face,” the Alpine driver laughed.

The layout of the Miami track brings its own issues

Miami track makes a wet race even trickier

In Miami, the situation is made even more complex by the nature of the track on the parking lot around the Hard Rock Stadium.

“It’s all that, but also I think the drainage around here on the parking lot is probably a bit more tricky as well,” Max Verstappen explained. “I think we saw already last year, the laps to the grid for the sprint, there was a lot of standing water.”

In addition to drainage, Sainz believes it is also related to the complete lack of elevation changes on the circuit.

“As we saw last year, on the straights, a lot of standing water here. It’s a super-flat track, the water stays on the surface and whether that’s going to be safe enough or not, with the walls close to you and the visibility that we have with these cars, it is certainly going to be a concern.”

All these factors combined make it a huge challenge for teams and drivers if they are indeed faced with the first wet race for this new generation of cars in Miami.

That said, Sainz concluded by stressing that drivers are still keen to race if conditions allow it.

“I hope that we can take all the appropriate actions for it. We can have a good show, a good race. I think all drivers want to drive in the wet. Wet races are a lot of fun, but hopefully with the right system and tools in place to make it safe.”

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