The FIA have detailed what will happen if lightning breaks out over the track as severe weather threatens to disrupt the Miami Grand Prix.

The weather forecast makes for grim reading with the Miami area likely to receive the worst of the forecasted thunderstorms just as the race is due to start.

Thuderstorms expected for Miami GP race start time

Miami experienced a clear morning on race day but that is not anticipated to last long with rain cells creeping up from the south of the city.

By 14:00 local time, thunderstorms are expected to start with the worst weather predicted for 16:00, exactly when the race is due to begin.

As we saw with Saturday’s sprint race, race control is often overly cautious when it comes to rain so a delayed start is expected.

In anticipation of the weather, the stewards have revealed their protocol relating to lightning and what will occur should thunderstorms break out.

A document by Felix Holter, Mathieu Remmerie, Derek Warwick and Steve Pence said:

The Stewards, exercising their power given under Articles 11.9.2.a and 11.9.3.n of the FIA International Sporting Code, decide the following:

In accordance with local public safety standards there is a possibility that the race can be suspended due to risk of lightning strike at or around the circuit, in order to facilitate all personnel to “shelter in place” in a relevant location. In such circumstance, for the safe and orderly conduct of the event, the following procedures shall apply:

• The race will be suspended in accordance with Article 57 of the Sporting Regulations, all
  cars must return to the pit lane and stop in the fast lane as described in Article 57.2.
• Once all cars have returned to the pit lane, Teams will be informed using the official messaging system that cars must be pushed from the fast lane and returned to the teams’ garages. Garage doors must remain open until otherwise instructed. For the avoidance of doubt, any car which was in their garage at the time the race was suspended, or that is moved from the fast lane to any other part of the pit lane without or prior to such instruction being given will be arranged at the back of the line of cars before the resumption in accordance with Article 57.3 or 57.5 respectively.
• Whilst the cars are in the teams’ garage the provisions of Article 57.4 shall apply. For the avoidance of doubt, cars may be worked on once they have stopped in the fast lane, whilst they are positioned in the teams’ garage, or once they have returned to the fast lane prior to the resumption, but any such work is restricted to that listed in Articles 57.4b) i) to x) and must not impede the resumption of the race.
• Once the Race Director is satisfied it is safe to resume the race, and no less than 18 minutes prior to the expected re-start time, the re-start order will be published. At such time, under the direct supervision and instruction of the FIA Technical Delegate or their representative:
• Each Team will be instructed, in turn, to push their car(s) into the fast lane such that cars may be arranged in the fast lane in accordance with the published restart order. Once all cars included in the re-start order are arranged in the fast lane, any car not included in the re-start order will be released from their garage and may line up at the back of the queue of cars in the fast lane in the order they get there.
• Once all cars are arranged in the fast lane or have been given the opportunity to join the back of the queue in the fast lane, the resumption time will be announced using the official messaging system. In all cases at least ten (10) minutes warning will be given

From this point, the race will be resumed in accordance with Article 58 of the Sporting Regulations.

Further to the above, should it become necessary to enact such “shelter in place” procedures whilst all cars are on the grid during the race starting procedure the following process shall apply:

• The start will be delayed in accordance with Article 46 of the Sporting Regulations.
• Teams will be informed using the official messaging system that all cars, on the grid or at the end of the pit lane, must be pushed from their location and returned to the teams’ garages. Garage doors must remain open until otherwise instructed.
• Once the Race Director is satisfied it is safe to resume the starting procedure, Teams will be informed using the official messaging system that cars must be pushed from their garage and returned to their allocated grid positions. Cars that were returned to their garage from the end of the pit lane may be pushed back to the end of the pit lane and must line up in the order they were in when the delayed start was announced.
• When all cars have been returned to the grid, or to the end of the pit lane, the starting procedure will begin again at the ten (10) minute signal.

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