Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar has been summoned by the FIA ahead of the Miami Grand Prix following an alleged technical infringement during qualifying. The 21-year-old Frenchman secured a solid ninth-place grid position with a time of 1:28.789, but now faces the prospect of being dropped to the back of the grid.
Technical Breach Allegations
The FIA report states that the car's floorboard was found to be protruding 2mm beyond the reference volume, in breach of Article C3.5.5 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations. Both the left-hand side (LHS) and right-hand side (RHS) floorboards were deemed non-compliant.
A separate incident report signed by FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer confirmed: "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."
Hadjar and a team representative are required to appear before the stewards at 7:00 AM local time (12:00 PM BST) on Sunday, 3 May 2026, to address the alleged breach.
Potential Consequences
Being classed as a technical infringement, Hadjar could face disqualification from the qualifying session. This would see the Frenchman relegated to the back of the grid for the race, which is scheduled to start at 6:00 PM local time. Such a penalty would significantly hinder Red Bull's chances of a strong result in Miami.
According to reports, Hadjar's car was among 13 vehicles called in for inspection during qualifying. Notably, Max Verstappen's car was also weighed but did not face the same level of scrutiny as his teammate's.
Red Bull's New Floor and Modifications
This controversy comes after Red Bull introduced a new floor for the Miami Grand Prix as part of seven modifications to their car. The most eye-catching change was a 'Macarena' rear wing. The team's FIA submission explained that "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 admitted difficulties adapting to the new configuration 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's Praise for Team
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen praised his team's efforts in implementing changes throughout 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."
Verstappen added: "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."
The outcome of the stewards' hearing will be closely watched as the Miami Grand Prix approaches, with Red Bull hoping to avoid a significant setback.
