Formula 1 will run an extended Free Practice 1 session at the Miami Grand Prix, with the FIA confirming the opening session of the Sprint weekend will be increased to 90 minutes following recent regulatory adjustments.

The governing body announced on 23 April that FP1 will now run from 12:00 to 13:30 local time, with all preceding track activities moved forward by 30 minutes to accommodate the change.

The decision follows a period of no racing since the Japanese Grand Prix, as well as a series of technical and regulatory tweaks agreed after recent FIA and Formula 1 meetings aimed at addressing early season concerns with the 2026 rules package.

The FIA confirmed the rationale behind the move, stating: “Following consultation with all stakeholders, it has been agreed that Free Practice 1 at the Miami Grand Prix will be extended to 90 minutes.”

The statement continued: “This decision has been taken in recognition of the gap since the last Grand Prix, the recently announced regulatory and technical adjustments, and the fact that as the Miami Grand Prix operates under the Sprint format which reduces the amount of practice time available over the course of the weekend.”

The extension is intended to give teams additional track time to evaluate changes introduced after a crunch round of meetings between the FIA, Formula 1, and teams, where energy deployment and driveability concerns were high on the agenda.

Miami marks the first race after a five week break in the calendar, caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. It also runs under the Sprint format, which traditionally limits teams to a single one hour practice session before parc fermé conditions are imposed.

By extending FP1 to 90 minutes, the FIA has effectively created a compromise that preserves the Sprint structure while acknowledging teams’ need for additional preparation time under revised technical parameters.

The move also underlines the urgency around the 2026 regulations, which have already drawn criticism from drivers and teams over energy management characteristics and on track behaviour.

With limited opportunities to test changes in race conditions, the extended session is expected to be crucial for teams to correlate simulation data with real world performance.

It also provides drivers with more time to adapt to evolving car characteristics following the recent tweaks, particularly as Formula 1 heads into a compressed Sprint weekend format where mistakes carry immediate consequences.

The Miami Grand Prix weekend begins on 1 May, with the revised FP1 session now set to play a key role in shaping the competitive order after the enforced break in the season. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)