FIA extends Miami FP1 to 90 minutes amid 2026 power unit overhaul

Written by Kavi Khandelwal

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile has confirmed that Free Practice 1 at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix will be extended to 90 minutes, marking a critical intervention as Formula One grapples with its complex new power unit era.

Credit: Formula One

The session is now scheduled to run from 12:00 to 13:30 local time on Friday, May 1, a significant shift that pushes all preceding support activities forward by 30 minutes to accommodate the vital extra running.

This decision followed an emergency meeting on April 20, 2026, where the FIA, FOM, and team principals agreed to push through mid-season technical refinements after data from the opening three rounds in Australia, China, and Japan highlighted significant flaws in energy management and driver safety.

The extension is primarily driven by a drastic overhaul of the 2026 technical regulations intended to eliminate the "excessive harvesting" and "yo-yo racing" that marred the early season.

In a bid to force more flat-out driving and reduce the reliance on tactical "lift and coast" maneuvers, the FIA has slashed the maximum permitted energy recharge limit from 8MJ to 7MJ per lap.

Simultaneously, the peak "superclip" power—the energy recovered while the driver is at full throttle—has been increased from 250kW to 350kW. These adjustments are designed to shorten the duration of hybrid power depletions on straights to just two to four seconds per lap, creating a more predictable and natural speed profile for both drivers and engineers.

Safety concerns also underpin the sudden schedule shift following a high-speed accident at the Japanese Grand Prix involving Haas driver Oliver Bearman. Bearman suffered a terrifying 50G impact at Suzuka's Spoon curve while swerving to avoid Franco Colapinto’s slower-moving car.

The incident exposed dangerous closing speed differentials, which could approach 500 horsepower depending on whether a car was in full boost or aggressive harvesting mode.

To mitigate this, the FIA has introduced a new cap on boost power, limiting sudden performance differentials to +150kW during race conditions. Additionally, MGU-K deployment will now be limited to 250kW in "non-straight" zones of the track to prevent unpredictable speed deltas in high-speed corners.

Miami will serve as the first testing ground for these revisions and a new "low power start detection" system. This system identifies cars with abnormally low acceleration shortly after clutch release and triggers an automatic MGU-K deployment to ensure a safe minimum speed.

Associated visual warning systems, featuring flashing rear and lateral lights, will also be tested in Miami to alert following drivers when a car is aggressively harvesting energy.

With the Miami weekend operating under the Sprint format, teams are typically afforded only 60 minutes of practice before entering the competitive "parc fermé" environment for Sprint Qualifying.

The additional 30 minutes in FP1 are therefore considered essential for recalibrating the complex 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and the electric MGU-K.

Engineers will be racing against the clock to master these revised energy curves and new tyre blanket temperature protocols for wet conditions before competitive running begins on Friday afternoon. The outcome of this extended session will be critical in determining the competitive hierarchy as the 2026 championship enters this refined, high-stakes phase in Florida.