A late change to the Formula 1 calendar could prove crucial for McLaren as the team looks to turn its 2026 season around at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
The FIA’s decision to cancel the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April has effectively created an unexpected pause in the championship. That break may benefit McLaren, who endured a tough start to the year while Mercedes dominated the opening three rounds through George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
With those two Middle Eastern races scrapped, the Miami Grand Prix is now being billed as Formula 1’s biggest mid-season reset in recent memory. Most teams are expected to arrive in Florida with significant upgrade packages, and McLaren is among those best placed to capitalize.
Why the Cancellations Matter for McLaren
Mercedes started 2026 in commanding form. Russell and Antonelli controlled the first three races, building early momentum in both championships. For McLaren, the picture was far less rosy. Oscar Piastri didn’t even start the first two rounds, and while the team recovered with a podium in Japan, they were still playing catch-up.
The cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia means McLaren avoids two more races where Mercedes might have extended its advantage. Instead, the team gets extra time to develop and refine its upgrade package before hitting the track again. In a season where margins are tight, that gap in the schedule could be decisive.
Miami: A Happy Hunting Ground
Miami has been kind to McLaren before. The team’s 2024 package worked perfectly at the Miami International Autodrome, where Lando Norris claimed his maiden F1 victory. That win came after McLaren introduced a major upgrade at the same venue two years ago, transforming the MCL38 into a race winner.
McLaren has targeted Miami again for 2025. The MCL40 will run the Mercedes power unit, which remains one of the strongest on the grid, and the team has been working to better integrate it with their chassis. With Bahrain and Saudi Arabia off the calendar, Miami becomes the first real chance to show what the upgraded car can do.
Palmer: “Extra Practice Time Is Huge”
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, host Tom Clarkson asked former driver Jolyon Palmer if McLaren could win in Miami. Palmer believes the race cancellations have given the team a lifeline.
“They feel confident heading to this race,” Palmer said. “All the talk is new car. They’ve preset Miami as an upgrade chance anyway, which they did a couple of years ago when Norris got his first win with a massively upgraded car. And they’ve done a similar thing this year.”
Palmer explained that McLaren knew it would start 2026 on the back foot after pushing development hard through 2025 to fight for the title. Miami was always circled as the point where new parts would arrive. The cancellations simply make that plan more effective.
“I think they knew they were on the back foot on the back of last season pushing so hard for the title,” Palmer added. “So they sort of were getting through those first races and then Miami was going to be a target. Now it’s obviously better for them that the two Middle Eastern races didn’t happen because they’ve got that deficit.”
Another factor is the revised weekend format. Miami will feature an additional 30 minutes of free practice, which Palmer thinks could be critical for McLaren given the scope of changes to the car. More track time means more data, and more chances to optimize the new parts before qualifying.
“I don’t know if they’ll win. I don’t know if they’ll be able to fight, but they have got the Mercedes power unit that they’re getting closer and more on top of,” Palmer said. “And that extra 30 minutes of free practice, I think, could be so important for them with the amount of upgrades we’re expecting on the car.”
Can McLaren Challenge Mercedes?
Despite the optimism, questions remain. Mercedes has looked dominant so far, and Russell and Antonelli have adapted quickly to the RB22’s successor. McLaren’s Japan podium proved the base package has pace, but Piastri’s early DNS issues highlighted reliability concerns that must be solved.
Still, the combination of a proven upgrade path, a track that suits the team, and a calendar reset gives McLaren its best chance yet to take the fight to Mercedes. Norris knows how to win in Miami, and Piastri will be eager to make up for lost ground after his stop-start beginning to 2026.
The FIA’s late schedule change doesn’t guarantee McLaren success, but it does level the playing field slightly. In a development race, every week counts. By removing two Mercedes-favored rounds, the cancellations have handed McLaren breathing room.
Storm Clouds Over Miami
There is one more variable: weather. The FIA has flagged a risk of thunderstorms across the Miami GP weekend. Rain would add another layer of unpredictability and could further shuffle the order. For McLaren, chaos sometimes creates opportunity.
If the upgrades deliver and the team maximizes the extra practice time, Miami could mark the point where McLaren’s 2026 season truly begins. After a bruising start and an unplanned break, the team finally has a chance to reset and attack.
Mercedes remains the benchmark, but McLaren’s Miami history, combined with the FIA’s calendar shake-up, means the fight is far from over. As Palmer put it, he’s unsure if they can win — but with a new car, more practice, and a circuit they like, McLaren suddenly has a lifeline.
