#F1 Crypto.com #MiamiGP 2026 Preview. #Formula1 #MiamiGrandPrix

2026 Miami GP Preview – After Andrea Kimi Antonelli captured the victory and championship lead at Suzuka, round four of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship returns to the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Miami, Florida, United States this weekend for the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2026. This will be the second Grand Prix of the season, which will feature the Sprint format and is the fourth time that Miami has hosted a race on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar.

2026 Miami GP Preview – A look at the Miami International Autodrome

The Miami International Autodrome is a purpose-built temporary circuit around the Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team and its private facilities in the Miami suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida. The circuit is 5.412 kilometres in length and features 19 corners, three straights a potential for three DRS zones and an expected average speed of 223kph. Top speeds are estimated to be 320kph. The circuit was designed to Formula One standards by track designers, Apex Circuit Design, for the Miami Grand Prix.

There are elevation changes too, with the main one between turns 13 and 16, with the circuit heading over an exit ramp and under various flyovers across uneven ground. The turn 14-15 chicane has an uphill approach, with a crest in the middle, then drops down on the exit.

This track, which will be within the private Hard Rock Stadium grounds will be using all-new and existing roads within, with new permanent asphalt pathways of the circuit integrated into the Hard Rock Stadium grounds. The track is a temporary-type circuit, which will not use any public streets that are located around the Hard Rock Stadium.

A few weeks before the Grand Prix, the circuit and its safety features will be set up just for the race weekend. After the race, the circuit will be dismantled, and the Hard Rock Stadium facility returned back to its normal state.

The Grand Prix circuit layout is 5.412 kilometres (3.363 miles) in length and runs in an anti-clockwise direction.

Race distance is 308.326 kilometres (191.584 miles) in length with 57 laps in total and 19 corners.

There will be 19 laps for the 100 kilometre Sprint Race on Saturday.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen holds the fastest lap record at the Miami GP from the 2023 event with a 1:29.708 in his Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda–RBPT, RB20 racer and has won two races at the Miami International Autodrome. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is the defending race winner from last year’s race with defending world champion and team-mate Lando Norris the 2024 winner.

2026 Miami GP Preview – A lap of the Miami International Autodrome

Here is the onboard pole lap from last season’s Miami Grand Prix set by reigning world champion Max Verstappen in his Oracle Red Bull Racing Honda-RBPT RB21 racer. The Dutchman posted a 1:26.204. You can see the footage right here at the link: Max Verstappen’s Pole Lap | 2025 Miami Grand Prix | Pirelli

2026 Miami GP Preview – Tyres

Pirelli will be bringing with them to the Miami International Autodrome, the C2 white side-walled Hard tyres, the C3 yellow-marked Mediums and the red-branded C4 Softs alongside the green side-walled Intermediates and blue-marked Full Wets in-case of rain.

Drivers will have a fixed allocation of two sets of the hards, four sets of the mediums and six of the softs.

2026 Miami GP Preview – Overtake & Straight Mode Zones

At the Miami Grand Prix, three Straight/Overtake Mode zones mirror the old DRS layout. The first runs from Turn 8 to Turn 11, with detection just after Turn 8 and activation after Turn 9 along a fast, flowing section. The second, on the long back straight from Turn 16 to Turn 17, has detection just after Turn 16 and delayed activation mid-straight for strong overtakes. The third begins after Turn 17, with activation near Turn 19, enabling immediate counterattacks into Turn 1.

2026 Miami GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits

Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.

ICYMI: 🏁 2026 Japanese Grand Prix Highlights – Antonelli charges from chaos to command victory

Andrea Kimi Antonelli produced a stunning recovery drive at the Japanese Grand Prix, overcoming a poor start to claim a dominant second career win and seize the championship lead.

After a sluggish getaway from pole, Antonelli dropped to sixth as Oscar Piastri led early ahead of Charles Leclerc. The race flipped on lap 22 when a Safety Car—triggered by Oliver Bearman’s heavy crash—allowed Antonelli to pit at the perfect time and emerge back in the lead.

From the restart, the Mercedes driver controlled the race, pulling clear while chaos unfolded behind. A fierce multi-car battle for the podium saw Leclerc snatch third from Lewis Hamilton, while George Russell briefly threatened before settling fourth.

Antonelli ultimately cruised to victory by over 13 seconds, becoming the youngest championship leader in F1 history and the first Italian since Alberto Ascari to win back-to-back races, with Piastri second and Leclerc completing the podium.

Read the full race report plus the reaction from the top three here: 2026 #JapaneseGP: Kimi Antonelli Wins at Suzuka, Makes #F1 History.

2026 Miami GP Preview – The Situation

Formula 1 returns this weekend following a month off with a Sprint weekend at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix as the season resumes.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the championship after scoring back-to-back victories in Shanghai and Suzuka, holding a nine-points lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

The Silver Arrows have won each of the opening three Grands Prix so far, but the tweaks to the rules and regulations and the five-week break mean the pecking order could potentially change as every team brings upgrades to the Miami International Autodrome.

Ferrari and McLaren will be hopeful they have closed the gap to Mercedes as defending world champion Lando Norris returns to the place where he claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory at the 2024 event.

Oscar Piastri came close to stopping the Silver Arrows party last time out in Japan but was unlucky with the timing of the safety car intervention, whilst the fast-starting Ferrari’s should also feature towards the front of the pack, giving Charles Leclerc and Sir Lewis Hamilton a chance to get on the podium.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen sits only ninth in the World Driver’s Championship standings and recently revealed he was considering his future in the sport, so the attention would be on what he thinks about the changes to the power-train regulations and whether the Dutchman will be still serious on his quit threat.

Since it is a Sprint weekend, there will be only one practice session, which has been extended to 90 minutes (due to the five-week-gap)  before going straight into Sprint Qualifying on Friday evening and competitive action for the remainder of the weekend at the Miami International Autodrome.

Antonelli returns to Miami sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship with 72 points and a nine-point advantage over Mercedes team-mate Russell who is second on 63 points, meanwhile Leclerc is a further 23 points behind the Italian in third on 49 points.

Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team heads to Florida sitting top of the World Constructor’s Championship standings with 135 points and a 45-points lead over closest rival Scuderia Ferrari who are second on 90 points, whilst McLaren Formula 1 Team are a further 89 points behind the Brackley-based-outfit on 46 points.

Catch up on the latest Formula 1 news from April here.

Click here for the 2026 Formula 1 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructor’s Championship Standings

The Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2025 race weekend kicks off Friday May 1 with Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying, followed by the 19-lap 100-kilometre Sprint Race and Qualifying Saturday May 2, then the 57-lap Race Sunday May 3.