Miami Grand Prix highlights: Will the F1 pecking order change and can Lewis Hamilton regain his form in the US? | F1 News

As the 2026 F1 season finally resumes after a five-week hiatus, Sky Sports F1 assesses the key talking points ahead of the Miami Grand Prix weekend.

Regulations that continue to require attention

The 2026 season represented a new dawn for F1 as the sport continues to strive to become a more sustainable sport by increasing the electronic power of its latest cars to 50%.

This move was always going to come with some challenges, and sports leaders recognized that fine-tuning would likely be necessary to optimize the action.

The gap in the schedule caused by the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the Middle East conflict provided the sport’s governing body, the FIA, the perfect opportunity to reflect on the opening three races and make some changes.

The changes being introduced at Miami focus on energy distribution, with the aim in particular to allow drivers to attack qualifying laps in a more natural flat-out manner, and in races to ensure there are fewer rapid closing speeds between cars in undesirable parts of the circuit.

It will be interesting to see what drivers, particularly Max Verstappen, have been very critical of elements of the new regulations in the early stages of the season, and what they think about the impact of the adjustments.

An entirely different element of the regulations may also be in the spotlight, with the FIA ​​expected to soon confirm which of the five power unit manufacturers will be given the opportunity to upgrade and catch up with those deemed to have the best engines.

Politics are already at play, with Mercedes manager Toto Wolff questioning how much opportunity he should give a team like Ferrari to develop. Meanwhile, Red Bull chief Laurent Mequise has denied speculation that the team actually has the best engine despite a poor start to the season.

Is it possible for the rankings to change dramatically?

With three races in Australia, China and Japan, the season was still in its infancy and action was suspended, but there was no doubt as to who the early favorites would be, with Mercedes winning all three grands prix in addition to the first sprint of the season in Shanghai.

Ferrari were clearly the closest challengers in the first two races, but McLaren produced a much improved performance in Japan, suggesting the reigning constructors’ champion is starting to understand the new regulations.

It was expected that all teams would make significant upgrades early in the season given it is the start of a new regulation cycle, but this break means that the upgrade sheet announced by the FIA ​​in Miami on Friday morning is likely to be one of the longest ever seen.

Although it is highly unlikely that the rankings will change completely, it is not impossible that Ferrari, McLaren, etc. could take a step closer to Mercedes. However, it works both ways, so the Silver Arrows could also extend their advantage if things go well.

Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle said on Monday: “It’s like a restart of the season. The teams will change dramatically and come out with hopefully improved cars. We don’t know who will do well.”

“In fact, with such big changes heading into 2026, I think that’s going to be the story of the season, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Will Russell comply?

Mercedes’ strong start was as expected after pre-season, but it was certainly a surprise for George Russell to find himself trailing teenage teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings after three rounds.

Neither pair would have been particularly happy about having to wait five weeks to race again, with Antonelli unable to build on the momentum of back-to-back wins in China and Japan and Russell departing to reflect on the fact that he no longer leads the championship.

Ferrari and McLaren will be hoping to challenge Mercedes in Miami, but it would be a big surprise if the Silver Arrows were not at least in contention for victory in Florida.

Antonelli’s strong start has already caused some changes in the dynamic, with Russell the clear leader of the team and the clear title contender under some threat, and Wolff being questioned about the prospects of the drivers vying for the honor.

Russell will be keen to erase Antonelli’s nine-point advantage as quickly as possible, and Miami is the second sprint weekend of the season, giving him an opportunity to further establish himself.

But one of Antonelli’s most impressive performances in his debut last year was when he won the sprint pole in Miami, outscoring Russell for a full session.

Which Hamilton will appear?

Lewis Hamilton looked fully reinvigorated in the first two races, capping off back-to-back season openers with Ferrari’s first Grand Prix podium in China.

The seven-time world champion looked much more comfortable in the heavily modified 2026 car, especially as he took the lead in Shanghai, having a thrilling battle with teammate Charles Leclerc.

However, there was a major setback in Japan as Hamilton resembled a driver who struggled in the second half of 2025 and was well off Leclerc’s pace throughout the weekend.

The 41-year-old failed to find much success through the first four Miami Grand Prix races, never bettering the sixth place he achieved in both qualifying and racing on his debut on the 2022 F1 calendar.

Leclerc took pole position and finished on the podium twice in Miami, so it is expected to be a tough test for Hamilton’s ambitions to fight for a record eighth drivers’ title this year.

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