Formula 1 3 Days

Last updated: May 4, 2026, 5:30 PM ET

Formula 1 Return & Technical Adjustments

Formula 1 returned stateside following a five-week hiatus, with the Miami Grand Prix serving as the initial test for several rule tweaks implemented designed to enhance safety and potentially alter race dynamics. Drivers provided initial feedback on these adjustments, particularly those concerning energy management, with some expressing concern that the revisions might still result in penalties for drivers aggressively pursuing faster lap times despite the changes. Concurrently, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem made a bold declaration, promising that the series will see the return of V8 engines by 2031 at the latest, ending the current 13-year run of V6 turbo-hybrid power units.

Miami Grand Prix Results & Penalties

The chaotic Miami Grand Prix saw a surprising outcome where rookie Kimi Antonelli secured a hard-fought victory over reigning champion Lando Norris, marking Antonelli's third consecutive win and cementing his title aspirations in the 2026 season. The race was peppered with incidents, including a collision between Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly on lap five, though Lawson successfully avoided sanction because his Racing Bulls unit experienced a gearbox failure immediately preceding the contact with the Alpine. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen faced a five-second penalty for infractions at the pit exit, but he managed to retain fifth place due to a more substantial penalty being applied to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during Sunday’s event.

Red Bull Performance & Technical Scrutiny

Despite the on-track drama, Red Bull showed signs of recovery in qualifying, pushing past expectations as Verstappen noted that the team’s latest component upgrades had nearly halved the performance deficit to the frontrunners in the RB22 chassis heading into the race. Verstappen himself qualified surprisingly well, making it into the top segment after struggling in Japan, attributing the improved pace to a hidden factor within the car's setup which surprised both the paddock and himself during Saturday’s session. However, technical issues persisted elsewhere, as Isack Hadjar was officially disqualified from qualifying after his Red Bull entry failed to satisfy the mandatory technical regulations set by the governing body.

Commercial Outlook & Weather Impact

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali used the Miami weekend to reiterate the series’ aggressive growth strategy, asserting that the championship is far from exhausting its commercial ceiling within the United States market speaking at a local business exchange. While Sunday’s main event did not materialize into the predicted wet-weather spectacle, such forecasts typically generate significant conversation, as the possibility of rain often leads paddock Cassandras to predict widespread woe from Thursday onward. Separately, during sprint qualifying, another incident involving track limits occurred, though Alex Albon’s subsequent appeal regarding his penalty for exceeding track boundaries was ultimately deemed too late to overturn the initial ruling during the session.