Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) has been penalized after qualifying for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, where he had finished ninth, due to a technical infringement detected on his car, race stewards confirmed Sunday ahead of the main event.
The French driver’s Red Bull was inspected Saturday night following qualifying, and officials determined that its floor was non-compliant with regulations, as its dimensions exceeded the reference measurement defined by the 2026 technical rules by two millimeters.
Red Bull “admitted a breach of the technical regulations,” stewards stated.
“We made a mistake and respect the stewards’ decision. No advantage was sought or gained from this error. We will learn from it and review our procedures to understand how it happened, ensuring it does not occur again. The team apologizes to Isack, the fans, and our partners,” said Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies in a statement.
Hadjar, who is in his second F1 season and his first alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull, will therefore start from the back of the grid in 22nd and last place.
His teammate, meanwhile, can aim for victory as he starts from the second row, just behind Italy’s Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), who claimed pole position for the third consecutive Grand Prix.