The annual Formula 1 (F1) event in South Florida has moved to a new time due to the looming threat of weather. The Miami Grand Prix will now start much earlier.
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According to an announcement on Saturday, the start time will move from 4 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET. The hope is that it will help the racers and fans avoid the expected downpour.
"Following discussions between FIA, F1, and the Miami promoter, the decision has been taken to move the start of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix to 13:00 local time in Miami due to the weather forecast that is expected to bring heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon close to the original planned race start time," said the FIA, Formula 1 and Miami Grand Prix in a statement.
"This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritise the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff."
According to WeatherUnderground, the teams will battle inclement weather throughout the day. It will just be to varying degrees. The forecast calls for cloudy skies and only a 20% chance of rain at the scheduled start of the Miami Grand Prix.
The forecast calls for a 34% chance of rain and possible isolated thunderstorms at 2 p.m. ET. It calls for a 50% chance of rain and scattered thunderstorms at the originally scheduled start time of 4 p.m.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli will start from the pole position. Red Bull's Max Verstappen will join him on the front row.
Racing series and promoters do not particularly want to move events to new times, especially on less than 24 hours' notice. Yet, this does provide one benefit for motorsports fans.
With the Miami Grand Prix moving to 1 p.m. ET, fans of multiple racing series can watch that event on Apple TV+ before switching over to the Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. This event will begin shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
