Formula 1 had new developments in the case of Isack Hadjar at the 2026 Miami GP. After the disqualification in qualifying, Red Bull spoke out and admitted the mistake that took the driver out of the top 10.
Read more F1: Piastri plays with rain and predicts an unpredictable race
The team confirmed that the Frenchman will start from the back of the grid, even after having secured ninth position. The episode completely changes the team’s strategy for this Sunday’s race.
The exclusion was applied after an irregularity in the car’s floor, with parts exceeding the allowed limit. In a statement, Red Bull itself detailed the situation: “Isack will start from the last position, after being disqualified from qualifying when it was identified that a small section of the floor, on the left and right sides, was outside the reference volume.”
Despite the problem with Hadjar’s car, no irregularity was identified in Max Verstappen’s car, who maintains his position on the grid. The team now tries to minimize the sporting impact of the penalty.
Read more F1: Rain cancels preliminary race and threatens Miami GP
The team principal, Laurent Mekies, took responsibility for the mistake and publicly apologized. “We made a mistake and respect the stewards’ decision. There was no intention nor performance gain from this. We will learn from the incident and review our processes to prevent it from happening again,” he stated.
Mekies also directed a direct apology to the driver. “As a team, we apologize to Isack, our fans, and partners. We learned the hard way, but we will move forward,” he said.
Even with the setback, Red Bull tries to keep focus on the race. “Now the goal is to turn yesterday’s encouraging performance into a strong result today,” the manager added.
Read more F1: Russell admits difficulty in Miami after qualifying
