F1 demand Red Bull explanation after Miami GP qualifying as team summoned to hearing

Isack Hadjar placed ninth in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, but could be relegated to the back of the grid following an alleged technical breach

Isack Hadjar finished ninth in qualifying (Image: Getty)

The FIA has summoned Isack Hadjar and Red Bull for a meeting ahead of the Miami Grand Prix through an alleged technical breach in qualifying. The 21-year-old managed a respectable ninth-place finish in qualifying during Saturday’s session, crossing the line in 1:28.789.

However, Hadjar has since been summoned by the stewards through concerns over a protruding LHS and RHS floor board. A report from the FIA explains that the driver and a representative from his team are set to meet with the FIA on Sunday at 7am local time (12pm BST) over an alleged breach of Article C3.5.5 of the FIA F1 Regulations. A separate report claims that the car’s floorboard was protruding 2mm out of the reference volume.

The report reads: “The driver and team representative are required to report to the Stewards at 07:00 on Sunday, 03 May 2026, in relation to the incident below. No / Driver 6 – Isack Hadjar. Reason – Alleged breach of Article C3.5.5 of the FIA F1 Regulations – LHS and RHS floor board were protruding out of the reference volume.”

A separate incident report signed by FIA Formula 1 Technical Delegate, Jo Bauer, meanwhile, explains: “After the Qualifying, legality volumes were checked on car number 06. The LHS and RHS floor board were protruding 2mm out of the reference volume RV-FLOOR BOARD. As this is not in compliance with Article C3.5.5 of the Formula 1 Technical Regulation, I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”

As a technical fault, Hadjar could face disqualification from the session. That means that the Frenchman would be relegated to the back of the grid for the 6pm start this evening, in a major blow to Red Bull’s hopes of success.

Isack Hadjar’s car was inspected at qualifying (Image: Getty)

As per Planet F1, Hadjar’s vehicle was one of 13 inspected during qualifying for inspection. While Max Verstappen’s was also weighed, it did not see the same scrutiny that his team-mate’s did.

It comes as Red Bull debuted a new floor for the Miami Grand Prix, one of seven changes made to their vehicle – the standout being a ‘Macarena’ rear wing. As per the team’s FIA submission of their floor, “the revised bib geometry accommodates changes to the forward floor structure, then blends with the sidepod to then meet the engine cover. Extracting more load whilst maintaining the downstream flow stability.”

Hadjar also explained that he struggled to get to grips with the new design of the car during qualifying. He said: “I just couldn’t put it all together. I couldn’t take Turn 1. To miss Turn 1, it’s Turn 2 and 3 that are compromised as well.

“It started there, and then you heat up the tyres more, and then you pay the price for the rest of the lap. I’m just struggling with drivability as well. It’s a very, very tricky track, very low grip with high track temperature.”

Verstappen, meanwhile, was full of praise for his team’s efforts in terms of implementing changes across April. He said: “I mean, so many things were not working up until this weekend. So, for us, bringing the car back together, also for me in the car itself, a few things have changed, and it made it a lot more comfortable to drive.

“And just I feel a lot more confidence and I don’t feel like I’m a passenger anymore in the car. That was already quite evident yesterday. And then I think today the Sprint was not too bad.

“I could finally follow the cars ahead of me instead of them just pulling away and not see them again. And then some tiny changes for qualifying and it seemed like that helped again a little bit. And yeah, to be on the front row, coming from over a second behind in the previous race, is really incredible.”