Formula 1 drivers 'itching' for return in Miami, but rain looms

Ferrari's Charle Leclerc finished third in Australia and Japan. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, placed third in China. McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who placed second in Japan, was the only other driver to reach the podium through three races.

Piastri, the defending Miami Grand Prix champion, said he doesn't see the 35-day break between races as a season restart, but believes drivers will return with major upgrades to improved cars.

The McLaren F1 Team works on intermediate tires before the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix on Thursday at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Greg Nash/UPI

"Mercedes is very strong at the moment, [but] hopefully we can close the gap," Piastri said. "The championship is far from over at this point."

Many drivers said they prioritized time with family and friends during the break. They also used race simulators when they weren't jumping into other races outside of Formula 1.

The outside of turn one is seen before the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix on Thursday at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Greg Nash/UPI

"I think the fact of just being away from the race track for five weeks started to itch me a lot," said Red Bull Racing's Isack Hadjar. "To be honest, I've been waiting for me to come back and drive. It's the driving part and the competition aspect I miss.

"I just want to get back to it. This long, long wait is enough for me to be in that mindset and to get back to competing."

Spanish Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin is interviewed before the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Greg Nash/UPI

Russell is favored to win the Miami Grand Prix, a 57-lap race covering about 192 miles. Cars will speed well over 200 mph on the 19-turn course.

Relentless heat and scorching sunlight, which bathed the campus Thursday, are typically factors in the annual competition. But the 22-driver field could also face a slick surface and visibility issues, if they get to the starting line. Sunday's weather forecast features a high probability of heavy thunderstorms throughout the afternoon in Miami Gardens.

British Formula 1 driver Ollie Bearman of Haas F1 Team is seen before the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix on Thursday at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Greg Nash/UPI

"It will be interesting," Piastri said. "I don't think many of us having driven these cars in the rain before. ... I think they are going to be challenging cars to drive in the rain just because some of quirks that they have. Normally, if it rains in Miami, it does it properly.

"We'll wait and see. It will be interesting, one way or another."

Piastri, 2024 winner Lando Norris and Leclerc are among the other Top 5 favorites to win in Miami Gardens. Leclerc sits in third place in the drivers' standings, behind Antonelli and Russell. Hamilton, Norris and Piastri round out the Top 6. Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson are the other Top 10 drivers.

An absence of two races on the schedule should tighten the standings down the stretch, as it didn't allow dominant drivers to earn up points and further improve their positions. Russell is nine points behind Antonelli, but 14 ahead of Leclerc. Norris and Piastri are separated by just four points. Bearman is just two points clear of Gasly.

"It's going to be a tough fight," Antonelli said. "I have a very tough teammate, who is up there. ... It's going be very tough. Ferrari are close. McLaren, we will see this weekend. We will see their true pace. Red Bull will get closer.

"I think, on my side, I'm just going to try to focus race by race, not trying to think about the end result or championship. Just try to stay as much as possible in the moment."