Hadjar's Miami Collapse: Technical DQ, Pitlane Start, Race Retirement

Qualifying Disqualification

Isack Hadjar's Miami Grand Prix weekend unraveled before the race even began. According to Motorsport.com, the Red Bull driver was officially disqualified from qualifying after his RB22 breached Article C3.5.5 of the F1 technical regulations. PlanetF1 reported that the infringement was a 2mm floor breach, with both the left-hand side and right-hand side floorboards exceeding permitted dimensions.

Hadjar had qualified in ninth place before the disqualification, trailing his team-mate Max Verstappen by 0.825 seconds. Motorsport.com noted that the 21-year-old believed the qualifying gap did not reflect the true performance deficit between himself and the four-time world champion.

Pitlane Start and Red Bull's Apology

Following the disqualification, Hadjar was forced to start from the pitlane for Sunday's race. ESPN F1 reported that Red Bull issued an apology to the driver over the technical infringement. The team owned responsibility for the error, according to Motorsport.com, which noted that Red Bull had apologized to Hadjar before the race commenced.

Early Race Retirement

GPFans reported that wet weather conditions wreaked havoc on the start of the Miami Grand Prix, with the F1 race brought forward to avoid the worst of the weather. Despite beginning from the pitlane, Hadjar initially made progress. Motorsport.com explained that Hadjar felt he was "flying" during the opening laps, but that elevated pace led him to lose focus and crash into the wall early in the race.

Sky Sports F1 captured footage of Hadjar striking his steering wheel in frustration immediately after the incident. The Red Bull driver's race ended without scoring points, a significant blow to his championship campaign.