What is this rule that could stop the Miami Grand Prix?

The 2026 Miami Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday, May 3rd at the Miami International Speedway, around Hard Rock Stadium, will take place in a particularly unstable weather pattern. AccuWeather's forecasts, regularly consulted by the teams, show a risk of rain of up to 88% for race day. But it's another figure that's attracting more attention in the paddock: a 53% probability of thunderstorms. Because in Florida, a thunderstorm doesn't just mean a wet track—it can mean the complete cancellation of the race.

In the United States, the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) formally recommend the cancellation of any large outdoor public event as soon as lightning is detected within a 13-kilometer radius of the venue. At this distance, the risk of direct lightning strike or danger to the public is considered too high to continue the event. Medical helicopters cannot take off, trackside personnel cannot work safely, and spectators must take shelter immediately. This is not an arbitrary decision by race officials; it is a recommendation that has become mandatory in leagues such as the NFL (National Football League) and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association, the college sports league in the USA), and it applies regardless of visibility or the intensity of the rainfall.

A rule specific to the United States

This restriction applies to all three Grands Prix held in the United States—Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. In the event of a rainstorm-related interruption, the FIA ​​sporting regulations stipulate a specific protocol, detailed in Article 57 of the Sporting Regulations. All cars return to the pit lane, line up in the fast lane, and are then pushed into the garages. And unlike a standard pit stop, mechanics are permitted to work on the cars inside the garages—something normally prohibited during a red flag.

The restart threshold is also precise: 30 minutes must pass without any further lightning detection in the monitoring zone before race control can consider restarting the race. The FIA ​​then issues a restart order at least 18 minutes before the scheduled restart, and teams have a minimum of ten minutes' notice once the cars are lined up in the fast lane. In other words, even if the storm dissipates quickly, the race cannot restart in less than half an hour.

A situation we've already experienced

This scenario is not theoretical. In March 2022, the 1000 Miles of Sebring, opening round of the World ChampionshipEndurance The FIA ​​race was stopped prematurely after 194 laps—70 minutes before the end—due to a thunderstorm deemed too threatening a few kilometers from the circuit. The race had already been red-flagged once before after a violent accident involving the Toyota GR010-Hybrid No. 7 Mike conway, Kamui Kobayashi et Jose Maria Lopez, struck by the Porsche The Dempsey-Proton Racing car #77 was at turn 14. The barriers had required 30 minutes of repair. The final storm, however, left no room for negotiation, despite not reaching the circuit before the end of the allotted time.

For the Miami Grand Prix, race control therefore has a clear regulatory tool at its disposal. It remains to be seen whether Florida's inherently unpredictable weather will grant the Miami Grand Prix the clear skies it needs to reach its conclusion.

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