Formula 1 continues its Sprint format in Miami this Saturday. Here are the exact times and key information before the second short race of the season.
Read more Miami Sprint Grid shaken up: Norris on pole, strange penalty and shaken hierarchy
The Miami Grand Prix weekend gets underway with the second Sprint event of the 2026 F1 season. This format, now well established on the F1 calendar, offers a short but intense race held on Saturday, before the main Grand Prix on Sunday.
This race represents a new opportunity for teams to score points and consolidate their position in the championship. During the first Sprint round of the year in China, it was George Russell, behind the wheel of the Mercedes, who won, confirming the format’s effectiveness in generating excitement from the start of the weekend.
A short but decisive format
The Miami 2026 Sprint is scheduled for a total of only 19 laps. Despite its brevity, this race plays an important strategic role, notably in determining part of the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
In this format, every mistake can be costly. Drivers must quickly find the right pace while managing tire wear and often changing track conditions in Florida. Every position gained or lost can influence the entire weekend.
What time to watch the Miami Sprint?
The start of the Sprint race is set at different times depending on the region of the world:
Read more Lewis Hamilton worried: the new F1 rules already questioned
- 12:00 local time in Miami (ET)
- 17:00 in the United Kingdom (BST)
- 18:00 in France (CET)
European fans will therefore tune in late afternoon to follow this short but potentially explosive race, while the American audience will enjoy an action-packed early afternoon start.
A key moment before the Grand Prix qualifying
Beyond the points at stake, this Sprint also serves as a full-scale test for the teams. In a context where the gaps between teams seem particularly tight, every on-track session becomes crucial to understand the behavior of the cars.
The data collected during this race will also be used to prepare for the main qualifying and the Sunday race. Teams will therefore have to balance immediate performance with learning for the rest of the weekend.
The Miami Sprint thus promises to be a pivotal moment, capable of reshuffling the cards before the decisive moments of the Grand Prix.
Read more Storms in Miami: Carlos Sainz calls for a major change in F1 rules