Isack Hadjar will start the Miami Grand Prix from the back of the grid after being disqualified from qualifying for a technical violation on his Red Bull Racing car. Initially securing ninth place, Hadjar displayed promising pace, qualifying just seven spots behind his teammate Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion. Red Bull benefited from an upgrade package but faced disqualification after post-session checks revealed a breach of technical regulations.
The disqualification stemmed from a minor irregularity in the car’s floor assembly, where sections on both sides protruded 2mm beyond the allowed reference volume. This deviation from the rules led to Hadjar’s exclusion from qualifying. Despite this setback, race officials allowed Hadjar to start the race from the back of the grid based on his satisfactory practice session performances. Red Bull accepted the decision without contest, with team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledging the mistake.
Mekies stated, “We made a mistake and we respect the decision of the stewards. No performance advantage was intended or gained from this error. We will learn from this incident, review our processes, and ensure it does not recur. As a team, we apologize to Isack, our fans, and partners. We will move forward and focus on converting yesterday’s promising performance into a strong race today.”
The Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium will commence earlier than scheduled due to expected heavy rain. Kimi Antonelli will start on pole position for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, adding an intriguing element to what promises to be an unpredictable race.
