Miami extends its first practice session to 90 minutes to get back on track

Written by Sonia Romero
Miami extends its first practice session to 90 minutes to get back on track
Credit: George Russell en course au Grand Prix de Miami 2025 avec Mercedes AMG Petronas. Crédit photo Overtake Agency / Joe Pinchin

The Miami Grand Prix weekend won't be quite like the others. And for good reason: the only free practice session scheduled will be a bit longer.

The Miami Grand Prix is making a slight departure from the traditional format. The weekend's sole free practice session will be extended from 60 to 90 minutes. An extra 30 minutes that will be more than welcome after a five-week break in the calendar.

Specifically, FP1 will now take place from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM local time (6:00 PM to 7:30 PM French time). The direct consequence: all track activities scheduled before this session are moved up by half an hour. Nothing dramatic, but enough to force the teams to adjust their alarm clocks… and their coffee.

A logical decision for a compressed weekend

In its press release, the FIA cites several factors to justify this choice: the long break since the last Grand Prix, recent regulatory and technical changes, and above all, the Sprint format.

Because in Miami, the schedule is tight. With just one practice session before diving straight into the action, every minute counts. These extra 30 minutes give the engineers some breathing room, as they'll need to optimize their programs between understanding the setups, managing the tires, and running performance simulations.

The rest of the schedule remains unchanged

Otherwise, no surprises. The weekend retains its original schedule, French time:

  • Sprint Qualifying: Friday at 10:30 p.m.
  • Sprint: Saturday at 6:00 PM
  • Qualifying: Saturday at 10:00 PM
  • Race: Sunday at 10:00 PM

An already exciting start to the season

This Miami Grand Prix marks the fourth round of the season. And to say the least, the current standings are quite surprising.

On the driver side, let's not forget that Kimi Antonelli is leading the championship. Meanwhile, Mercedes has taken the lead in the constructors' standings, confirming a solid start to the year.

Needless to say, these 90 minutes of FP1 will be essential for preparing for a weekend where everything happens very quickly… and where it's best to be ready from the very first flying lap.