Miami Grand Prix 2026 Live Updates: Safety Car Comes Out For Hadjar And Gasly; Lawson Retires

As the 2026 Miami Grand Prix continues to unfold, the top eight positions are currently held by Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) in first, followed by Max Verstappen (Red Bull) in second, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in third, Lando Norris (McLaren) in fourth, George Russell (Mercedes) in fifth, Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) in sixth, Oscar Piastri (McLaren) in seventh, and Franco Colapinto (Alpine) in eighth.

The race under the Safety Car has become a strategic nightmare for the teams as the attrition rate climbs. Liam Lawson has officially retired after failing to recover from damage sustained in the collision involving Pierre Gasly, while Nico Hülkenberg’s status remains uncertain; he is currently sitting in his garage, suggesting the team is attempting repairs in hopes of a restart.

In anticipation of the shifting track conditions, teams are reacting quickly: Max Verstappen has opted to pit for hard tires, likely looking to extend his stint, while Valtteri Bottas has taken a gamble on softs. The stakes have been raised significantly by a critical weather update, with reports indicating that rain is expected to hit the circuit in just 20 minutes. This incoming weather, combined with the current caution period, is forcing teams to make high-pressure calls on whether to stick to their current strategies or prepare for a wet-track scramble.

The race action intensified as Kimi Antonelli, despite initially appearing to be in control, utilized a battery recharge to reclaim the lead from Charles Leclerc at Turn 10, resetting the order at the front. Meanwhile, Lando Norris received team instructions to prioritize tire management and avoid interfering in the lead battle, biding his time for a potential move in the closing stages.

Chaos struck on Lap 6 when the Safety Car was deployed due to a heavy crash involving Isack Hadjar, who ended up in the wall. In a separate, simultaneous incident, Pierre Gasly also crashed, leaving his car lodged against the barriers. Fortunately, both drivers have radioed in to confirm they are uninjured, though a visibly frustrated Hadjar was seen thumping his steering wheel in the cockpit following the impact. The sudden double-retirement and resulting Safety Car period have now neutralized the field, fundamentally altering the tactical landscape of the race.

Early in the opening laps, Lewis Hamilton, struggling with significant car damage from his initial collision with Franco Colapinto, expressed his frustration over the radio, noting he could not race effectively. While stewards initially cleared the opening lap chaos, they subsequently opened an investigation into that specific Hamilton-Colapinto clash. Meanwhile, George Russell utilized his Boost to overtake Oscar Piastri, moving up into fourth place, despite both drivers expressing dissatisfaction with their car balance throughout the weekend.

As the race settled into a rhythm, Charles Leclerc maintained a lead of over a second at the front, while Lando Norris pressured Kimi Antonelli for second. Behind them, Nico Hülkenberg was forced to pit for a new front wing, and Liam Lawson allowed teammate Max Verstappen to pass as the Dutchman began his recovery drive. As the field sorted itself out, the order solidified with Leclerc leading Antonelli, Norris, and Piastri, followed by Russell, Hamilton—who had managed to pass Colapinto—Lawson, Verstappen, and Alex Albon rounding out the points. Pierre Gasly currently sits in 11th, needing to make progress.

This follows the critical move at the end of Lap 4, where Antonelli successfully utilized his Boost down the back straight to overtake Leclerc into Turn 17, establishing himself in clean air as the front three began to pull away from the pack.

The race began with immediate drama as pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli suffered a poor launch, leaving him vulnerable to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. In his attempt to defend, Antonelli out-braked himself, locking up and running wide. Chaos ensued when Verstappen tagged Leclerc, forcing the Dutchman into a full 360-degree spin; miraculously, he avoided any contact with the rest of the pack.

Antonelli rejoined the circuit in third, trailing leader Leclerc and the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, the action spilled further down the field, with initial reports indicating contact between Franco Colapinto and Lewis Hamilton—an incident that stewards are currently reviewing to determine the extent of the damage and potential penalties.

As Kimi Antonelli leads the field into Turn 1, teams are facing a significant strategic challenge due to a sharp drop in track temperature. After a scorching 52°C surface during yesterday’s Sprint race, today’s track has cooled to a much more manageable 36°C under persistent overcast skies. This dramatic shift in conditions serves as a major variable for the engineers, forcing them to quickly adapt their tire management strategies and car setups to ensure consistent performance throughout the Grand Prix.

While all teams are equipped with intermediate and wet-weather tires, the current track status remains primarily dry, save for a minor damp section beneath the bridge. Pirelli has provided the three softest compounds—C3, C4, and C5—for the weekend, but their application remains entirely weather-dependent. Although the race is set to begin in dry conditions, the rapidly shifting forecast means team strategies remain fluid and uncertain as the skies threaten to change.

The starting grid for the 2026 Miami Grand Prix is finalized, with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli securing the prestigious pole position. He is followed closely by Max Verstappen in second, while Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris occupy the second row in third and fourth, respectively. The top ten is rounded out by George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, and Nico Hülkenberg. Notably, Isack Hadjar, who initially qualified within the top ten, has been demoted to a pit lane start following a technical disqualification, causing a reshuffling of the positions behind him.

The remainder of the grid is filled by Liam Lawson in 11th, followed by Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz Jr., Esteban Ocon, and Alex Albon. The final set of starters includes Arvid Lindblad in 16th, Fernando Alonso in 17th, Lance Stroll in 18th, and the Cadillac pair of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez in 19th and 20th, with Gabriel Bortoleto in 21st. This competitive spread highlights the intense battle expected at the front, as drivers navigate the 19 corners of the Miami International Autodrome under the pressure of unpredictable weather conditions that forced the race start to be brought forward.

The Miami Grand Prix 2026 race will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website. It will also be available on the F1TV app and website.

The 2026 Formula 1 season experienced a notably long break in the early spring due to the cancellation of two consecutive Grand Prix events: the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

These races, which were originally scheduled to take place in mid-April 2026, were called off due to the escalating conflict in Iran, which created significant safety and logistical concerns for the racing community.

Because these cancellations happened shortly before the scheduled dates, the FIA and Formula 1 were unable to secure and operationalize replacement circuits in time. Consequently, the schedule had no choice but to absorb the gap, leading to the extended period of inactivity between the Japanese Grand Prix in late March and the return to action at the Miami Grand Prix in early May.

The 2026 Miami Grand Prix was moved forward by three hours—from 4:00 PM to 1:00 PM local time—to mitigate the significant risk of heavy rainstorms and thunderstorms forecast for later in the afternoon.

The decision was made following discussions between the FIA, Formula 1, and local race promoters to achieve the following:

Maximizing Racing Window: The earlier start provides the largest possible time buffer before sunset to complete the race distance, reducing the likelihood of the event being cut short by darkness or worsening weather.

Prioritizing Safety: The shift aims to minimize the risk to drivers, teams, staff, and fans. Florida has strict safety regulations regarding lightning, where outdoor sporting events are typically required to suspend activity upon hearing thunder and cannot resume until 30 minutes after the final lightning strike. Moving the race earlier was intended to avoid the most intense period of expected storm activity.

Minimizing Disruption: By preemptively adjusting the schedule, organizers sought to ensure the best possible conditions for the race to run to its full length with the least amount of interruption.

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