Antonelli captured the attention in Miami 12 months ago when he scored a surprise Sprint Race pole position, and while his Sprint Race and Grand Prix unraveled—albeit with some factors out of his control—it will surely give the Italian youngster further confidence that he can target a hat-trick. He heads into Miami nine points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell in the standings. NurPhotoWhat impact will the rule changes have?Formula 1 was never going to take an axe to its new regulations, and there is also caution of not overreacting to the data sample that has come from three grands prix.

A reduction in recharge limits should ensure drivers do not have to undertake excessive harvesting during qualifying, while the deployment tweaks should also be a step in the right direction in terms of minimizing the excessive closing speeds. But there remains the risk of unintended consequences, or of different venues providing different challenges. Back-to-back Sprint events at semi-permanent circuits in Miami and Montreal are followed by the always quirky Monaco, so it won’t be until Barcelona in mid-June when Formula 1’s 2026 regs are put through their paces at a regular event on a conventional circuit.

Matters may also simply settle down as a consequence of teams and drivers gaining a greater understanding of the regulations. It is still early days. NurPhotoBig upgrade packages loomingThe development strategies of teams were locked in long before the unexpected April break, and several teams have long been planning sizable packages for Miami, chiefly among them McLaren.

It was in 2024 when a large update propelled McLaren from third-best to front-runner, and after an upturn in performance in Japan there’s renewed optimism that new components—and greater understanding of the power unit due to its customer status initially putting it on the back foot—can boost the team’s chances. It won in Miami in 2024, when Lando Norris claimed his maiden victory, and last year Oscar Piastri fronted a one-two result, after Norris’ reverse in the Sprint Race. So the team has strong recent history in Florida.NurPhotoWhere does Verstappen stand on his future?Max Verstappen has loathed the 2026 regulations for years and has made barbed remarks at most opportunities, but it was post-race in Japan where he truly opened up on his mindset for the first time.

In a revealing back-and-forth with BBC Sport, after a disappointing weekend at a circuit he loves, Verstappen openly said for the first time that walking away from Formula 1 after 2026 is a possibility. A ponderous Verstappen sounded as if he was at both a career and life crossroads, and in the enforced break he continued his GT3 exploits at the Nürburgring ahead of his impending 24 Hours debut. There has also been the matter of close ally and long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase deciding to leave Red Bull for McLaren—though he will remain in post until at least the end of 2027 unless a settlement is reached.

Will the break have done Verstappen good, or will he still be in a contemplative mood?NurPhotoHerta on home soil Formula 2’s decision to replace its canceled Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds with first-time trips to Miami and Montreal means Colton Herta has an opportunity to compete at home this year—albeit with the trade-off that a date clash precludes a mooted one-off Indianapolis 500 return. Herta had a so-so debut weekend in Melbourne, acknowledging he still faces a steep learning curve, with the notoriously capricious Pirelli tires one aspect he is striving to get his head around. One advantage for Herta is that, unlike the majority of the events, no driver or team has prior experience of Miami—or Montreal—which is a little bit of a leveler.Joe PortlockHas Aston Martin made any progress?The symbiotic nature of the chassis-engine relationship means it remains tricky to assess just how much of the woes can be placed at the door of Aston Martin or Honda, given the Japanese power unit constructor hasn’t got a customer team. But it’s clear that both parties—apart and together—have giant strides required towards even creeping from embarrassment to borderline respecta