Red Bull's Isack Hadjar faces a pit lane start at the Miami GP after a technical infringement led to his Qualifying disqualification. Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged the error and emphasized no performance gain was intended.
Isack Hadjar will be starting the Miami Grand Prix from the pit lane following a disqualification from Qualifying. The Red Bull driver encountered this setback due to a technical infringement. Originally qualifying ninth, seven spots behind teammate Max Verstappen, Hadjar's car was found to have a floorboard protrusion that exceeded the allowed limits by a mere 2mm. This small overstep of the regulations resulted in his exclusion from the session.
Despite setting satisfactory practice times, which would usually allow him to start from the back of the grid, Hadjar's fate was sealed with additional penalties. Changes to the power unit and control electronics under parc ferme conditions meant he'd be starting from the pit lane instead.
Red Bull, led by team principal Laurent Mekies, chose to accept the penalty without appeal. Mekies expressed regret for the oversight, stating, "We made a mistake and we respect the decision of the Stewards. No performance advantage was intended nor gained from this error." He added that the team will investigate how this error occurred to prevent future issues, offering apologies to Hadjar, fans, and partners.
Mekies remained optimistic about the race, focusing on capitalizing on the car's promising performance shown during the upgrades. His sights are set on turning Saturday's challenges into a strong race day.
The Miami Grand Prix, now scheduled for an earlier start at 1300 local time due to impending rain, will see Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on pole. As the teams brace for a wet race, Hadjar will have to navigate the field from the back, hoping to salvage a respectable finish.