US law could cause Miami GP disruption as FIA address weather concerns
A United States law could place the running of the Miami Grand Prix under threat amid fears over the weather forecast for the race.
There is the threat of thunderstorms across the Miami region on Sunday, with The Weather Channel forecasting that thunderstorms were 'likely' earlier in the week.
That forecast has since been updated to predicted 'rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon', with the chance of rain at 80 per cent.
Accuweather, meanwhile, are forecasting 'a couple of showers and a heavy thunderstorm' that 'could impact the race'.
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The official forecast used by the FIA shows a chance of rain of around 40 per cent, with a spokesperson telling RacingNews365 on Thursday: "We are closely monitoring the weather forecast for this weekend.
"Having faced a similar situation last year in Miami with threats of thunderstorms, we have a contingency plan in place and will activate it if needed to minimise disruption to the on-track programme."
The aforementioned situation last year saw the F1 Academy race cancelled on the Sunday due to severe weather conditions.
There were concerns that the following F1 Grand Prix could be affected, but the weather fortunately missed the circuit and the race was ran in dry conditions.
In the event of severe weather conditions, there are FIA regulations relating to the safe operation of the medical helicopter, with races halted if it is unable to be flown.
Article 57 of the FIA regulations, relating to poor weather conditions, could also come into effect.
But there is also a specific US law in place which orders the immediate stoppage of any public event if there is the imminent risk of a thunderstorm or lightning strike.
Policies for most outdoor sports or public events mandate that there must be a minimum of 30 minutes delay after all lightning is out of a defined area before the event can be resumed.
Many of the safety concerns involve the spectators present at the Hard Rock Stadium, with 275,000 people in attendance across last year's race weekend.
On-site workers have OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) obligations to suspend the event when there is an imminent lightning risk.
What can the FIA do in the event of severe weather?
If the FIA decide to stick to the original start time, the answer is - not much.
They would be bound by federal law to halt the Grand Prix and not resume it until the specific criteria is satisfied. The race has a four-hour window before sunset in which to be completed in, and discussions are being held with local organisers over protocols that will be agreed with drivers and teams.
The FIA can reschedule the race for earlier on Sunday, similar to how they did for the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2024 following the severe threat of thunderstorms. The race is currently scheduled to start at 4pm local time.
They could also theoretically move it to Saturday, where dry and warm conditions are expected, but Miami has been assigned as a sprint weekend and that may require other events to be rescheduled.
The FIA Race Director can declare a 'Rain Hazard' two hours before the Grand Prix start if the predicted chance of rain is 40 per cent, to signal low-grip conditions.
Ryan Smart