2023 Miami Grand Prix: UK start time, how to watch fifth round of the season

The Formula 1 paddock makes its first trip to North America via the (hopefully) sunny Florida this weekend. So, here is the start time, amongst other details, for the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.

Red Bull continued to show that they were the class of the field last time out in Azerbaijan. Despite Charles Leclerc being the pole-sitter for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, it was Sergio Perez who came out on top in both races.

The Mexican now sits just six points behind teammate Max Verstappen in the standings. Could we be seeing the re-emergence of a single-team title race, similar to Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2016?

Remembering @Charles_Leclerc’s incredible pole lap at the #MiamiGP last year ⚡️pic.twitter.com/J6ODJ6aJ8p

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 2, 2023

Meanwhile, Ferrari made solid progress in their pursuit of being the next-best team. Leclerc converted his pole position into P2 (Sprint) and P3 (GP) respectively, marking the Scuderia’s first podium of 2023. They will thus hope to be ahead of Aston Martin and Mercedes once more in Miami.

The midfield behind the top four teams remained as tight as ever in Baku. But Alpine, who had a disastrous time around the street circuit, will be desperate for an improved showing this weekend.

This brings us to Miami; following its high-profile arrival on the calendar last year, the Grand Prix will surely be another star-studded affair. Will the action on track match the glamour in the stands? We will have to wait and see.

Miami Grand Prix: UK start time

Due to its presence on the east coast of the US, the Miami Grand Prix has an evening start time in Britain. Lights will go out on Sunday 7 May at  8:30pm UK time, giving F1 fans here some late weekend entertainment.

Qualifying on the day beforehand (Saturday 6 May) is at an even later hour, with Q1 starting at 9pm in Britain.

Comin' through ????

A unique route to the podium for @redbullracing in 2022! ???? #MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/hrktZhCt5c

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 1, 2023

The practice sessions are then as follows. On Friday 5 May, FP1 gets the weekend started at 7:30pm. Following this, FP2 is the latest of all the sessions, beginning at 10:30pm on the Friday.

Finally, FP3, while at lunchtime in Miami, starts at 5:30pm UK time on Saturday afternoon.

Where you can watch the Miami GP

Sky Sports’ exclusive F1 coverage continues throughout the 2023 season for fans in the UK. As ever, their bespoke F1 channel – Sky Sports F1 – will house all the live sessions, as well as pre- and post-session analysis.

Additionally, Sky Sports Main Event will broadcast Saturday’s qualifying session and the Grand Prix.

An alternative to Sky is to buy via NOW TV, where viewers can purchase a day pass or a monthly pass to Sky Sports channels.

There's helmet appreciation and then there's @LandoNorris 2022 Miami helmet appreciation. ????????

Even now, it still hits different.#MiamiGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/3g3CXtDrma

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 2, 2023

But if you are happy to not watch live, Channel 4 is showing highlights of the two main Miami GP sessions on free-to-air TV. Qualifying highlights are at 8:30am on Sunday morning. The Miami Grand Prix highlights then have a start time of 1:25am – into Monday morning.

Weather – can we expect any rain in Miami?

Although not traditionally associated with Florida, rain is certainly a possibility in Miami. This could throw a spanner in the works of an F1 weekend.

Currently, though, the chance of rain seems low. Miami news outlet Local10 predicts some showers on Friday, but they do have just a slight possibility of occurring. This may have an effect on Friday’s free practice running.

New week, new scenery ????????????

Hello again Miami ????#HaasF1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/uMzlfMsxVf

— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) May 2, 2023

Similarly, both Saturday and Sunday are expected to have some light cloud coverage, although again a relatively low chance of precipitation.

Alternatively, BBC Weather has a much gloomier broadcast. The British outlet suggests that there may be showers throughout Saturday, which could make for a chaotic qualifying. Sunday follows a similar pattern – but the BBC believes that the chance of a downpour is low.

Read: Charles Leclerc hopes Ferrari can build on Azerbaijan GP – but race pace needs improvement

Maybe a change in the weather is what we need to see a true shake-up of the grid. Whatever the conditions, the Miami Grand Prix will surely be a massive spectacle for all fans to enjoy this weekend.

Featured image credit: Getty