Call this the return of the preview after the season had already been previewed, but then got upended by a war that nobody wants or needs. So here goes. The 2026 Formula 1 season resumes this weekend in Miami after going the entirety of April without racing. The first three races of the season featured Mercedes coming out strong, suggesting the season might be theirs for the taking. Or that’s what the pundits would have us believe, even if Mercedes has claimed three wins and two second-place finishes.
That’s a pretty strong start. Such a strong start that it overshadows the fact that McLaren amassed three DNFs between its two drivers in those three races. Apparently, the team’s thinking is to just get the troubles out of the way early and then put together a solid campaign, which, if a team could actually set up as their agenda, would be splendid. But there’s too much chaos in racing to utilize that as a brilliant strategy.
However, McLaren seems to have come out swinging. Though the results are nothing to get excited for, they can clearly challenge Ferrari for the slot of second-best, and seem poised to press ahead of the Italian outfit. Part of the reason for McLaren’s optimism relies on the fact that, if any team is going to Ferrari, it is going to be Ferrari.
To clarify: Ferrari enjoyed a media shooting day over the 2026 F1 Spring Break, though they probably avoided Cancun, Florida, or Arizona. The extra on-track time allowed them to trot out some upgrades and get happy about things, like a proper F1 team would usually do. Heck, even Williams used the time to improve by showing modest gains in ensuring they are not stuck behind Cadillac, Aston Martin, or possibly the Racing Bulls. Whether or not they maintain that lofty position will be determined over the course of the Sprint and Grand Prix.
Ferrari, on the other hand, hoped to take the fight to Mercedes and instead look like they might have drank too many Aperol Spritzes on the beach and allowed McLaren and Max Verstappen to slip by. (Let’s not get confused about thinking that Red Bull is a two-car team.)
While it is unlikely that Alpine is going to suddenly pick up a second in its drive, that does not mean that Ferrari will keep itself functioning like the kind of team it aspires to be, rather than the team it often exhibits. Something about the Prancing Horse just emblemizes the concept of enabling the worst best ideas that come from a company retreat. Or is it the best worst ideas?
Nevertheless, the Miami GP has already highlighted McLaren’s return to 2025 form and the potential that Mercedes, clad in their Miami Vice-esque colors this weekend, will not be driving off with the title in the same way that McLaren did last year.
Now that a race weekend is finally upon us once again and we have reasons to enjoy a Sprint race – a race that still seems to feel a bit goofy and confusing – we must also find ourselves thwarted by elements beyond control. Hello, Miami weather.
If there’s anything that should be considered with South Florida, it should be the notion of rain. The early forecast indicates that Raceday-Sunday is not only expected to feature some South Florida precipitation, but that said rain (again, it’s not simply weather, as all weather is weather) is likely to be in the form of thunderstorms. Here’s where things get tricky.
The potential thunderstorms are supposed to linger throughout the day, and there is even talk of moving the race to an earlier starting time. OK, solid. Florida law states that any sporting event that faces lightning within the vicinity, as defined by the term “within eyesight,” must be stopped. In conjunction, the area must enjoy a 30-minute lightning-free period before said sporting contest can resume. For a state actively trying to dismantle notions of sensibility, such a precaution manifests itself as downright logical. (It should be noted that there’s no shortage of lawyers in Florida.)
This setup means the race may or may not start, and it may or may not continue as a normal GP event. No biggie, fans and historians of F1 hold knowledge of rain-affected races and delays, but the timing becomes an issue here, and the FIA has avoided any chatter of moving the race to Monday. If there is one thing that is on-brand with F1, it is the authoritarian belief that all things bend to it and that the show must go on as scheduled. Hear ye, hear ye.
Even better, the rainy conditions further tweak the already onerous rules that surround this season and its complicated power-unit power-deployment construct of racing. Verstappen may have called it Mario Kart, but the legislative aspects of F1 racing in 2026 are well beyond video game metrics.
Consider that the conditions would lead to how ESPN’s Nate Saunders described the changes:
On a competitive level, a wet race would also create a first under the new rules. F1’s regulations state that the battery boost mode must be disabled in the wet, while the power deployment dictated by software within the cars is also capped at 250 kilowatts. Straightline mode for the movable aerodynamic devices at the front and rear of the car is also revised slightly.
Say what??
So, as we return to racing, we get a wonderful smattering of storylines, and this piece did not even attempt to go into the rules adjustments that came about, focusing on the boost. There’s a lot going on this weekend; enjoy whatever may come of all of it. Assuming it happens.
As a writer and editor, Ava anchors the Formula 1 coverage for the site, while working through many of its biggest columns. Ava earned a Masters in Sports Studies at UGA and a PhD in American Studies from UH-Mānoa. Her dissertation Chased Women, NASCAR Dads, and Southern Inhospitality: How NASCAR Exports The South is in the process of becoming a book.
Saw Alex Zanardi passed away. Sad day. He was an absolute monster in CART, and later, after losing his legs in a horrible crash, won multiple Paralympic medals.
As for F1, hope the race goes off without weather delays. Was good seeing McLaren and Ferrari showing pace competitive with the Mercs in practice/qualifying, and Red Bull being close enough Max Verstappen’s remarkable skill may be able to keep them in the picture.