The start of Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix has been brought forward three hours, with the race now beginning at 1pm local time.

A thunderstorm is forecast for Sunday and if there is a threat of lightning in the area, the event would be disrupted.

F1 stakeholders held a meeting on Saturday evening to discuss the latest forecast and what to do, with widespread rain and thunderstorms still predicted for later in the afternoon.

After an extremely hot sprint race and qualifying day, with air temperatures of up to 34C, Sunday could have two rounds of rain showers and thunderstorms – first overnight into early morning, before a lull during the day, and then an increased chance in late afternoon and early evening.

As of Saturday evening the FIA’s official forecast predicts morning rain should be lighter and less intense, with afternoon and evening thunderstorms bringing “frequent lightning, brief wind gusts from 50-70km/h, and perhaps small hail”.

The decision-makers therefore agreed that bringing the start of the grand prix forward was the most pragmatic option as the risk of disruption was so high.

"Following discussions between FIA, FOM and the Miami promoter, the decision has been taken to move the start of Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix to 13:00 local time in Miami due to the weather forecast that is expected to bring heavier rainstorms later in the afternoon close to the original planned race start time," a statement from FIA, FOM and Miami Grand Prix read.

 "This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritise the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff."

The support race programme for Sunday has been heavily adjusted to make space, with the Porsche Carrera Cup North America cancelled. The McLaren Trophy America moves up to an 8am local time start, with Formula 2's feature race at 9.25am local time.

F2 was only added to this event at late notice as a replacement for the cancelled rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, so abandoning another race after a major financial and logistical effort to bring the series to Miami was not at all desirable.

If thunderstorms still materialise around the new grand prix start time, the event can continue – but there will be guidance in place to manage lightning threats, and suspend the race if necessary.

Starting it early also provides a bigger window to work with should any storm disruption arrive early.