Isack Hadjar disqualified from Miami Grand Prix qualifying
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar has been thrown out of Miami Grand Prix qualifying following a breach of Formula 1’s technical regulations, reports BritPanorama.
The French driver had secured ninth place on the grid during Saturday’s session, finishing just under a second behind teammate Max Verstappen. However, post-session scrutineering revealed that both the left and right floor boards on his RB22 extended 2mm beyond the permitted reference volume.
FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer referred the matter to stewards after discovering the infringement breached Article C3.5.5 of the technical regulations. Red Bull representatives met with officials on Sunday morning and accepted the findings without challenge.
As a consequence, Hadjar must now begin the race from the pit lane rather than his original starting position. Team principal Laurent Mekies issued an apology to his driver following the ruling. “We made a mistake and we respect the decision of the stewards,” said Mekies. “No performance advantage was intended nor gained from this error.”
The team boss confirmed that Red Bull would examine their procedures to determine how the fault occurred and implement measures to avoid similar incidents in the future. “As a team, we apologise to Isack, and to our fans and partners. We learn the hard way today but we will move forward,” Mekies added.
The new floor was among seven updates Red Bull introduced to the RB22 at the Miami Autodrome this weekend. Verstappen will line up second on the grid for this afternoon’s race, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli claiming pole position. Charles Leclerc takes third for Ferrari, whilst Lando Norris starts fourth for McLaren.
Hadjar’s disqualification has reshuffled the lower end of the top ten, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly moving up to ninth and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg promoted to tenth. George Russell occupies fifth for Mercedes, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in sixth for Ferrari and Oscar Piastri seventh for McLaren. Franco Colapinto rounds out the top eight for Alpine.
Hadjar now faces the challenge of working his way through the 22-car field from the pit lane when the race gets underway. The implications of this ruling, alongside the strategic updates introduced by Red Bull, will make for an intriguing contest as teams navigate the complexities of performance and compliance in the high-stakes environment of Formula 1.
