Red Bull Racing has admitted making a technical mistake that led to Isack Hadjar’s disqualification from qualifying at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix 2026. Team principal Laurent Mekies described the situation as “painful” and one the team should have identified earlier.
Hadjar was removed from the qualifying results after FIA checks found the floor on his car exceeded the permitted dimensions by two millimetres. Even such a minor discrepancy is enough to trigger a technical disqualification under Formula 1’s strict ground effect regulations.
“We should have spotted the issue earlier.”
“It’s a painful situation because mistakes like this should not happen.”
Technically, the floor area is one of the most sensitive components under current regulations due to its direct influence on aerodynamic efficiency and ground effect performance. Even millimetre-level deviations can alter airflow behaviour and overall downforce generation.
Hadjar’s difficult weekend worsened further when the young driver crashed out of the grand prix itself. Meanwhile, separate attention emerged around previously unseen footage involving Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto.
The footage showed Hamilton gesturing towards Colapinto’s Alpine following their Turn 11 contact on the opening lap, which damaged Ferrari’s SF-26. Hamilton later stated the damage cost him approximately half a second per lap throughout the race.
Elsewhere, Mekies also confirmed holding discussions with McLaren CEO Zak Brown in the Miami paddock. The meeting attracted attention after tensions between the teams increased following McLaren’s signing of Verstappen’s long-time race engineer GianPiero Lambiase for a future role.
Meanwhile, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem reiterated his opposition to multi-team ownership structures amid rumours linking Mercedes with an investment in Alpine.
From the Aston Martin side, Fernando Alonso confirmed that gearbox development has now become the team’s primary focus after vibration issues improved in Miami.
The combination of technical controversies and political developments following Miami highlights how Formula 1 2026 competition continues far beyond the racetrack, extending into regulations, engineering development, and evolving team dynamics ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Read Also
George Russell believes Mercedes will not be hindered by the FIA's ADUO system, which grants extra development hours to struggling engine manufacturers.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella rejects Lewis Hamilton's theory that the team's Miami upgrade package delivered performance beyond internal expectations.
Fernando Alonso is weighing his F1 future after his contract expires, refusing to leave the sport while struggling with Aston Martin's current performance.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!