Formula 1 season resumes in Miami as rivals target dominant Mercedes
The 2026 Formula 1 season resumes at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend following a five-week hiatus, with rival teams bringing major upgrades in a bid to catch runaway leaders Mercedes.
The sport returns to the track at the Miami International Autodrome for the first time since the Japanese Grand Prix on 29 March.
Scheduled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled on safety grounds due to conflict in the Middle East, creating an unexpected gap in the calendar.
Teams have utilised this enforced factory time to develop significant car upgrades, leading to suggestions that the competitive pecking order could dramatically shift.
‘A new championship begins’
The Silver Arrows have dominated the new 2026 regulations so far, winning all three opening races and the single Sprint event.
Kimi Antonelli currently leads the drivers’ standings following his impressive victory at Suzuka.
Ferrari have emerged as the closest challengers and hope their latest developments will bridge the performance gap in Florida.
Frederic Vasseur believes the extended break has allowed teams to heavily optimise their machinery.
“Everyone will bring new upgrades to Miami,” Vasseur said.
The Scuderia team principal expects the grid to look vastly different as engineers unlock more performance.
“They’ll have time to work on the software, which is why I said a new championship will start.”
Mercedes anticipate fresh challenge
Despite their flawless start to the campaign, the German marque is acutely aware of the threat posed by the rest of the pack.
Toto Wolff echoed his Ferrari counterpart’s sentiments regarding the potential for an immediate shake-up.
“Miami is going to be for me also a restart,” Wolff admitted.
The Mercedes motorsport boss acknowledged that competitors are rapidly learning how to extract the maximum from the complex new technical regulations.
“How are the upgrades going to work that people are bringing? How have we optimised all the other systems?”
The Austrian executive concluded that the renewed development war will make for a thrilling weekend on track.
“It’s going to be exciting.”
