MAY 3, 2026

Hadjar disqualified from Miami qualifying

Isack Hadjar has been officially disqualified from qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix after his Red Bull Racing car was found to be in breach of the technical regulations.

The 21-year-old had originally secured ninth place in qualifying, but post-session scrutineering revealed that his RB22 did not comply with Article C3.5.5 of the FIA’s rules. Specifically, both the left-hand side and right-hand side floorboards were measured outside the permitted dimensions, protruding 2mm beyond the allowed reference volume.

The infringement was identified by the FIA technical delegate, and the matter was subsequently reviewed by the stewards. According to the official statement, the team did not contest the findings.

“The stewards heard from the team representatives of Car 6,” the FIA noted. “They did not dispute the findings… that portions of the LHS and RHS floor boards were protruding 2mm out of the reference volume.”

As a result, Hadjar has been excluded from the qualifying classification and will now start Sunday’s race from the pitlane. His removal from ninth promotes Pierre Gasly into that position, while Nico Hülkenberg moves up to join him on the fifth row.

The decision had been widely anticipated, as reports of a potential breach surfaced shortly after qualifying concluded. Under FIA regulations, such dimensional violations typically result in disqualification when confirmed.

The stewards also reiterated that competitors retain the right to appeal decisions under the FIA International Sporting Code, although no indication has been given that Red Bull intends to challenge the ruling.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged the error, stating: “We made a mistake and we respect the decision of the stewards. No performance advantage was intended nor gained from the error.”

He added that the team would review its internal processes to prevent a recurrence, while also issuing an apology to Hadjar and the team’s supporters.

The disqualification caps a difficult weekend for Hadjar, who had also missed out on points in the sprint race after qualifying in the same position for that event.

Attention now shifts to the race itself, where Red Bull’s hopes will rest on Max Verstappen, who starts from the front row alongside polesitter Kimi Antonelli.