{"id":632092,"date":"2026-04-27T14:58:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/632092\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T14:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:58:16","slug":"f1-returns-5-exciting-storylines-for-miami-gp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/632092\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 returns: 5 exciting storylines for Miami GP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Formula 1 is officially back. <\/p>\n

For the first time in over a month, it’s race week in F1. The Miami Grand Prix is ahead, and there are more than a few storylines to catch up on, including a set of changes to the new rules.<\/p>\n

New rule changes should improve the cars Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images Sport \/ Getty<\/p>\n

There is nothing we’re more thrilled about than seeing if the new tweaks improve the on-track action. The biggest changes are a reduction in maximum recharge from 8MJ to 7MJ, plus the maximum superclip power being boosted to 350KW. In simple terms, this should bring back more flat-out qualifying, as drivers will spend less time superclipping (charging the battery while on full throttle). The harvesting limit has also been decreased.<\/p>\n

Regarding the adjustments made to address the sporting aspect of these regulations, the biggest question is, will it be enough? The answer to that will probably depend on your expectations. If you’re wanting the F1 of old to return, you’ll end up disappointed. That just isn’t possible to do midseason due to teams not having enough time or resources in the budget cap era to redesign their engines or fuel tank size. Remember, these tweaks weren’t made to erase the issues but rather to alleviate them.<\/p>\n

F1 is banking on fans not noticing the drawbacks of these changes, which will likely result in slightly slower lap times. But the decision-makers are hoping that fans recognize a big difference compared to the haunting sights that dominated the first three grands prix, such as drivers losing 50 kilometers per hour on the straights at times while superclipping.<\/p>\n

Other adjustments targeted safety issues, with the power from Boost Mode being decreased and MGU-K deployment being reduced in areas other than the key acceleration zones. That change was enacted to avoid incidents like Oliver Bearman’s crash in Suzuka, which was caused by a massive speed differential between him and Franco Colapinto, the next car ahead.<\/p>\n

Miami presents a huge opportunity for F1 to take a small step in the right direction. If the sport can improve the viewing experience of qualifying while maintaining Sunday’s entertainment, all the criticism of the new cars will slowly start to fade.<\/p>\n

Who can stop Kimi Antonelli’s momentum? Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images Sport \/ Getty<\/p>\n

If you need a reminder of where F1 left off, a 19-year-old is currently leading the drivers’ championship. Kimi Antonelli has made the most of his Mercedes machinery, starting the season with three straight podiums and winning the last two races. The teenager’s ascension has been a great feel-good story, but another win in Miami would really legitimize Antonelli’s title challenge.<\/p>\n

That is, unless someone can stop him.<\/p>\n

If there’s anyone who can derail Antonelli’s momentum, his teammate, George Russell, is the most likely candidate. Russell seemed to be destined for a dominant season after beginning with a win in Australia and a sprint victory in China. He’s had a tough go since, but let’s not discount that Russell was in contention to win in Suzuka before his fortune was undone by a safety car. Wild cards such as Ferrari and McLaren could spoil Antonelli’s run as well, but odds are, it’ll be up to Russell as he looks to change the narrative around his season.<\/p>\n

Russell will have his work cut out for him, though. Not only is Antonelli driving in the best form of his career, but Miami has been a track that seems to suit him well. After all, in last year’s event, the Italian qualified on pole for the sprint race and then qualified third for the main race, again ahead of Russell.<\/p>\n

McLaren could have another magical Miami moment Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images Sport \/ Getty<\/p>\n

“There was always the idea to deliver a completely new car, especially from an aerodynamic upgrades point of view, for the North American races,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said recently.<\/p>\n

Forgive me if you’ve heard this story before, but McLaren plans to unveil a revamped version of its car in Miami. For those unfamiliar, McLaren also brought a major upgrade package to the track in 2024.<\/p>\n

That package resulted in Lando Norris winning the Miami Grand Prix and served as the launch point for the team’s back-to-back constructors’ championships.<\/p>\n

Miami has been very kind to McLaren of late. In addition to Norris’ maiden win at the circuit in 2024, the Papaya team swept the weekend last year, with the British driver claiming the sprint and Oscar Piastri winning the main race.<\/p>\n

McLaren continued to improve its form in Suzuka. Could Miami once again be the turning point for another McLaren title charge? History says yes.<\/p>\n

Other teams bringing upgrades NurPhoto \/ NurPhoto \/ Getty<\/p>\n

While those at home had nothing to do during the break, the teams themselves weren’t as fortunate to get a chance to relax. The grind never stops behind the scenes in F1, and with the extra time between races, teams other than McLaren will also arrive in the United States with numerous upgrades on their cars.<\/p>\n

The biggest focus will be on the Macarena. No, not the dance, but the famous rotating rear wing that Ferrari debuted earlier this year. Reports from Italian media suggest that a new Macarena wing is among the Scuderia’s various upgrades slated for Miami.<\/p>\n

But apparently Ferrari isn’t the only one dabbling with the unique wing.<\/p>\n

Red Bull appears<\/a> to have tested its own Macarena wing during a recent filming day run in Silverstone. Whether that makes it to Miami is unclear, but the Milton Keynes squad is indeed rumored to be implementing upgrades for the next race.<\/p>\n

There will almost surely be upgraded cars across the grid this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see if McLaren, Ferrari, or Red Bull can bridge the gap that Mercedes has built. Any potential changes in the pecking order will become evident in Miami.<\/p>\n

Cadillac’s homecoming Mark Thompson \/ Getty Images Sport \/ Getty<\/p>\n

Welcome home, Cadillac.<\/p>\n

The Miami Grand Prix will be the first race on U.S. soil for Cadillac. The American team has experienced an uneventful three-race introduction to F1, which isn’t a bad thing. The team’s cars have been backmarkers so far, but thanks to the Aston Martin debacle, Cadillac hasn’t looked beyond its depth. That should be celebrated as a huge win in itself, considering many in the sport initially tried to stop an 11th team from joining the grid.<\/p>\n

Any measurable progress in Miami will be worth applauding, and another development worth watching is the status of American pilot and Cadillac’s test driver, Colton Herta. The F2 driver, who has nine IndyCar wins, will race in Miami. This year marks the first time that F2 is coming to the circuit, putting Herta on an equal playing field as his rivals in the junior series.<\/p>\n

There should be no shortage of festivities this weekend involving the American team and its drivers.<\/p>\n

Drivers’ standings<\/p>\n

Rank
\nDriver
\nTeam
\nPoints<\/p>\n

1
\nKimi Antonelli
\nMercedes
\n72<\/p>\n

2
\nGeorge Russell
\nMercedes
\n63<\/p>\n

3
\nCharles Leclerc
\nFerrari
\n49<\/p>\n

4
\nLewis Hamilton
\nFerrari
\n41<\/p>\n

5
\nLando Norris
\nMcLaren
\n25<\/p>\n

6
\nOscar Piastri
\nMcLaren
\n21<\/p>\n

7
\nOliver Bearman
\nHaas
\n17<\/p>\n

8
\nPierre Gasly
\nAlpine
\n15<\/p>\n

9
\nMax Verstappen
\nRed Bull
\n12<\/p>\n

10
\nLiam Lawson
\nRacing Bulls
\n10<\/p>\n

11
\nArvid Lindblad
\nRacing Bulls
\n4<\/p>\n

11
\nIsack Hadjar
\nRed Bull
\n4<\/p>\n

13
\nGabriel Bortoleto
\nAudi
\n2<\/p>\n

13
\nCarlos Sainz
\nWilliams
\n2<\/p>\n

15
\nEsteban Ocon
\nHaas
\n1<\/p>\n

15
\nFranco Colapinto
\nAlpine
\n1<\/p>\n

17
\nNico H\u00fclkenberg
\nAudi
\n0<\/p>\n

17
\nAlex Albon
\nWilliams
\n0<\/p>\n

17
\nValtteri Bottas
\nCadillac
\n0<\/p>\n

17
\nSergio Perez
\nCadillac
\n0<\/p>\n

17
\nFernando Alonso
\nAston Martin
\n0<\/p>\n

17
\nLance Stroll
\nAston Martin
\n0<\/p>\n

Constructors’ standings<\/p>\n

Rank
\nConstructor
\nPoints<\/p>\n

1
\nMercedes
\n135<\/p>\n

2
\nFerrari
\n90<\/p>\n

3
\nMcLaren
\n46<\/p>\n

4
\nHaas
\n18<\/p>\n

5
\nAlpine
\n16<\/p>\n

5
\nRed Bull
\n16<\/p>\n

7
\nRacing Bulls
\n14<\/p>\n

8
\nAudi
\n2<\/p>\n

8
\nWilliams
\n2<\/p>\n

10
\nAston Martin
\n0<\/p>\n

10
\nCadillac
\n0<\/p>\n

Daniel Valente is theScore’s lead Formula 1 writer. Daniel has covered the sport for multiple years, conducting analysis and interviewing key figures inside the paddock. His expertise is breaking down data and discovering unique stats. Follow Daniel on X at @F1GuyDan<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Formula 1 is officially back. For the first time in over a month, it’s race week in F1.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632093,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[49,48,578,576,577,82],"class_list":["post-632092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}