“We made a mistake and we respect the decision of the stewards,” said Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies regarding Isack Hadjar’s disqualification from the Miami Grand Prix qualifying session. Hadjar was disqualified due to a breach of technical regulations, which has significant implications for his race strategy.
The FIA confirmed that Hadjar’s car had floorboards protruding 2mm outside the permitted reference volume. He qualified in ninth position before the disqualification, but now he will start from the pit lane after changes to his power unit.
Hadjar’s situation arose after he advanced to Q3 in qualifying. The technical delegate reported that portions of the left-hand side (LHS) and right-hand side (RHS) floorboards were not compliant with FIA regulations.
Red Bull accepted the findings and acknowledged the breach. Mekies apologized for the error and emphasized that no performance advantage was intended.
The usual penalty for such a violation is disqualification and starting from the pit lane, which is precisely what occurred in this case.
Hadjar’s new starting position will be 22nd, impacting his chances in the race. This incident serves as a reminder of the strict adherence required to FIA regulations in Formula 1.
The FIA stewards confirmed the disqualification after an investigation, ensuring all teams remain vigilant about compliance with technical standards.
