The Miami Grand Prix will start at one in the afternoon in the city of Florida (19:00, Spanish peninsular time), three hours earlier than originally scheduled, after all parties involved agreed this Saturday on an extraordinary measure to try to avoid the storm forecasted by the weather predictions. The forecasts anticipate heavy rain, accompanied by an electrical storm, for Sunday afternoon, a circumstance that caused the International Automobile Federation (FIA), the local promoters of the event, and FOM, the holder of the commercial rights of the championship, to meet after the qualifying session and agree on this change in the day’s schedule, in order to have more room to maneuver to find a window in which to hold the race.
Read more Extraordinary Mother’s Day Draw of the National Lottery
“After conversations between the FIA, FOM, and the Miami promoter, it has been decided to bring forward the start of the Sunday Grand Prix to 13:00 local time, due to weather forecasts predicting heavy rain in the afternoon, close to the scheduled start time of the race,” read the joint statement issued by F1 and the FIA. “This decision has been made to minimize interruptions in the race, ensure the maximum possible time to complete it under the best conditions, and prioritize the safety of drivers, fans, teams, and staff,” the note added.
Read more Eros Ramazzoti at 50 is a religious experience
The main threat to the event lies in the electrical component, since local laws establish that no event can take place with lightning in the sky, within 13 kilometers distance. In such a case, the event must be suspended, and all team personnel and operators must seek shelter. The event can only be resumed once half an hour has passed without lightning. At the same time, the FIA has also activated a new protocol, identified as ‘rain risk,’ which is triggered when the chance of rain exceeds 40%. Under these circumstances, teams can modify certain parameters of the cars despite them being under parc fermé conditions, to adapt them to driving on a wet track.
Read more ONCE Mother’s Day Extra Raffle
