F1 2026: What teams and drivers are doing during forced April break following race cancellation before Miami Grand Prix | F1 News

Due to the conflict in the Middle East, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs were canceled and the F1 season was forced to a halt.

With no races taking place during April, F1 will take a five-week hiatus between events, before resuming the season with the Miami Grand Prix from May 1-3.

So what are F1 teams and drivers doing with an unexpected four weeks of free time without racing so early in the 2026 campaign?

What are F1 teams trying to do?

Through three pre-season tests and the first three rounds of the new race campaign, the sport had run six of the nine weeks leading up to the Japanese Grand Prix.

This busy schedule was due to the introduction of the biggest rule changes in the history of the sport, targeting chassis and power unit regulations.

For the 11 teams on the grid, this month therefore represents an unexpected opportunity to take a long break from the intensity and pressure of race weekends, and one they will be keen to make the most of by returning to their factories as all 22 races prepare to resume.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said: “We’ve had some time off for the wrong reasons, but in effect this break is welcome because it’s been such a program, such an intensive program and we’ve been pushed so far in terms of timelines.”

“Importantly, this winter has also been one of the toughest of my F1 career, so it has also given the guys some time to breathe.

“Certainly once we started going trackside, the winter testing itself was very intense and very busy.

“With another long season ahead of us, it’s good to have some time to breathe, to catch up operationally and technically, and as a team, especially with McLaren, to be in a position to compete for more important positions when we get back to racing, starting in Miami.”

Already one of the biggest events on the calendar, Miami (which also hosts the second sprint weekend of the season) is made even more important by the fact that it will be the first race back after an extended break.

The vehicle developments each team had planned for the Middle East doubleheader will be brought to the first U.S. event of the year, perhaps in conjunction with whatever equipment was planned for Miami itself. Teams now have extra time to fine-tune and understand these packages.

And unlike the sport’s long-established summer break in August and the new winter equivalent around Christmas/New Years, where rules require teams to close their factories to give staff enough time off, this “spring break” allows for unrestricted clothing.

With factories open and staff working as usual, teams can focus on areas of development that they see fit within the existing parameters of a $215m (£170m) seasonal budget cap and their respective aerodynamic test limits.

While all 11 teams will inevitably make good use of the time, the suspension of racing comes at a particularly advantageous time for those who have had a disappointing start to F1’s new era, such as Williams, whose cars were off the pace and overweight.

“We need whatever break we can get to get back in front by the time we get back to Miami,” Williams team principal James Bolles said.

“For us, that period is actually a period to see what we can really change. Without the attrition[from the Grand Prix]we can counter the fact that production can be postponed to future performances, some of which may happen in Miami, some of which may come beyond.”

“There’s never enough time after an event to look at every little bit of data and really understand what you should have done in hindsight and what kind of programs you want to start in the future. This gives us a good time to do that.”

With vast amounts of data collected on car and power unit performance over the opening three races and a bumper upgrade package expected to be finalized, it’s no wonder Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur hinted in Japan that “a new championship will begin” in Miami.

What are F1 drivers up to?

It is certainly unusual for the stars of the grid to have no races for four weeks at this time of year, and often no running of any kind on track.

But, like their teams, the forced break provides an opportunity for drivers to reflect and address early issues and challenges in the weeks leading up to the season in F1’s complex, all-new cars.

Drivers are therefore expected to spend a lot of time at the factory using simulators and working with engineers, while also focusing on maintaining their fitness levels. I might also try to work out a warm-weather vacation before Miami.

Regarding the plans for the drivers and race crew, Williams chief Vowles said: “The drivers will be back in the UK and we will essentially be running the simulator every day we can.”

“We’re going to complete pit stop practice with the crews back here on most days that we can. It’s more about what we fit in and what’s going to be the most cost effective.”

The season-long ban on full track testing will continue as usual, but there will be opportunities for at least some drivers to take to the track throughout this month.

Pirelli’s pre-arranged tire development program continues, with Ferrari cars set to be used for wet tests at Italy’s Fiorano test track on April 9-10, while Mercedes and McLaren will use their cars for dry tire tests at Germany’s Nürburgring on April 14-15.

If they have not yet fulfilled their pre-season quota, teams will also be able to use one of their two remaining 200km “shooting days” allowed each year at circuits closer to home.

Additionally, there are opportunities for extracurricular racing activities.

Max Verstappen was not scheduled to return to GT3 action until the Nurburgring 24 Hours between the Miami Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix in mid-May, but he is now free to join the team for qualifying at the German circuit on April 18-19.

Meanwhile, this weekend Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll will follow in the Dutchman’s GT3 footsteps and make his debut at the series opening event, the GT World Challenge Europe, to be held at Paul Ricard from April 11-13.

What else is going on in sports?

F1 team leaders will also play a key role in this month’s debate over the sport’s regulations.

The sport’s stakeholders, including the FIA, F1, teams and power unit manufacturers, will reportedly meet for the first time on April 9 to discuss potential tweaks to the rules for 2026 based on learnings from the season’s opening three races.

Such a discussion had always been planned after the early rounds to assess the initial situation with F1’s new ruleset, but the events at Suzuka following new driver criticism of energy management requirements during qualifying and the high closing speeds present in Oliver Bearman’s high-speed crash behind slow-moving Franco Colapinto in the race put the topic into new focus.

In a statement after the Suzuka race, the FIA ​​said: “It is the consistent position of all parties that a structured review will take place after the start of the season to allow sufficient data to be collected and analysed.”

“Therefore, a number of meetings are scheduled in April to assess the operation of the new regulations and determine whether improvements are needed.

“Potential adjustments, especially those related to energy management, require careful simulation and detailed analysis.”

Any changes introduced after Miami will likely be hotly debated.

F1 will resume with the second sprint weekend of the season, the Miami Grand Prix, from May 1-3, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract