Following discussions between Formula One bosses, governing body the FIA and race promoters, the decision was taken to shift the start time to 1300 local time (1800 BST).

The FIA earlier made a rain hazard declaration ahead of Sunday’s 57-lap race, with the chance of rain forecast at over 40 per cent.

An F1 statement read: “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.

“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.”

F1 bosses had stressed contingency plans were in place due to the weather forecast, with Florida state law dictating events must be stopped in the event of lightning within an eight-mile radius part of the consideration.

Assuming the Grand Prix can get under way, the threat of it being a wet race remains.

It would be the first time many drivers have run the new generation of cars in wet conditions and many had earlier predicted it to prove a challenge.

“It’s going to be tricky because so many drivers did not use it in the wet. Hearing feedback it is not the easiest in the wet,” championship leader and pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli added.

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Lewis Hamilton, who starts sixth for Ferrari, has done more wet-weather driving in these cars than most – at pre-season testing in Barcelona and during two days at the team’s Fiorano track.

“It was pretty horrible in Barcelona, it was not a fun day, it was very slippery, it wasn’t the most fun but the wet’s not usually that fun nowadays,” he said.

“Back in the day when we had grippier tyres it was a bit better. Fiorano was painful because it was 300 laps over two days.”

Max Verstappen is set to start from second, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris.