Sunday weather forecast for South Florida could complicate race strategy for drivers at the Miami Grand Prix

The 2025 Formula 1 season started with a gruelling run of five races in five weeks, followed by a short break before round six in Miami this weekend.

The Miami Grand Prix is the first US-based race of the season and things are neatly poised at the top of the standings, with just 12 points separating Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

This year’s event is just the fourth time that the Miami International Autodrome has hosted an F1 race and the track centers around Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins. Drivers will be pushed to their limits on the temporary street circuit, while weather conditions will also provide more questions for drivers.

The forecast predicts showers and light rain from Friday through to Sunday, making preparations difficult for teams. The mixed conditions will leave drivers guessing right up to the final minutes.

So how will that affect the race at this crucial point in the F1 season? Typically, rainy conditions are considered an equaliser with drivers forced to act more cautiously. With drivers unable to max out their cars’ potential, the gap between the better and worse vehicles is reduced.

Essentially, rain could be good news for those who are currently off the pace, such as Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time F1 champion made a splash with a shock move to Ferrari over the winter but he is yet to find much success with his new team as he struggles to get to grips with the new car.

Hamilton also struggled after moving to Mercedes in 2013, ending a 15-year association with former team McLaren. However he went on to acclimatise himself in the new vehicle and won six championships with the team. Now, he must do the same thing with Ferrari.

“No clue,” Hamilton said, when asked for his expectations for Miami. “We’ll do the best we can, we’ve not got upgrades or anything this weekend, but we continue to try and optimise the car and obviously Charles [Leclerc] in the last race did a fantastic job and showed what the car can do in a race, so the goal is to try to replicate that.”

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