F1 discussing Miami timetable changes amid storm risk
A meeting will be held on Saturday at Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix to decide on changing Sunday’s timetable due to the risk of thunderstorms.
The prospect of Sunday being disrupted by storms stems from the risk of lightning, with the National Weather Service advising that sporting events should be stopped if thunder and lightning is observed within 6 to 10 miles.
If activities are paused, the recommendation is to wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming, to ensure the storm has passed.
The week leading up to F1's first race in a month has featured a lot of speculation and discussion around the weather forecast, given a storm is expected on Sunday.
As of Saturday morning, the forecast is volatile and shows the threat of a thunderstorm is still real.
At the time of writing the official forecast used by the FIA warns of potential "widespread rain showers and embedded thunderstorms" on Sunday afternoon.
The chance of rain is highest on late Sunday afternoon and early evening and any afternoon thunderstorm will be capable of "25-35 mm/hr rainfall rates, frequent lightning, wind gusts from 50-80km/h, and perhaps small hail".
After an initial update was given in an internal discussion on Saturday morning, a meeting after qualifying will be held in which stakeholders will determine whether to adjust the timetable with the most relevant information, as the ever-changing nature of weather forecast makes it futile to take action too far in advance.
Sunday's schedule is very busy, though. The addition of Formula 2 – a consequence of the cancellation of F1's races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – means there are three support races planned ahead of the F1 race, which does not start until 4pm local time.
If the risk of interruption was considered so severe that a timetable change is required, though, the grand prix would naturally take precedence.
Lead image courtesy of Craig Evans / Spacesuit Media
