Red Bull forced into apology after dramatic Miami GP controversy
The Miami Grand Prix weekend delivered another wave of controversy for Red Bull after the team was forced to apologise following a costly FIA disqualification that overshadowed part of its campaign in Florida.
While much of the attention during the weekend focused on reigning world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s ongoing title fight, the team found itself under pressure after one of its cars failed post-session technical inspections.
Young Red Bull-linked driver Isack Hadjar was disqualified after FIA officials discovered that the floor assembly on his car did not comply with the sport’s strict technical regulations. According to the governing body, the plank underneath the car exceeded the permitted measurement limits by a very small margin, but under Formula 1 rules even the slightest breach results in automatic disqualification.
The decision dealt a major blow to Hadjar, who had produced an impressive performance around the Miami International Autodrome before the penalty erased his result entirely.
Red Bull senior figures quickly accepted responsibility for the mistake, with team management publicly apologising to the young driver after the FIA verdict was confirmed. The team admitted the error came from its own setup and preparation rather than any fault on the driver’s side.
The incident added further frustration to an already tense weekend for the Milton Keynes-based squad, which has spent much of the 2026 season battling performance concerns and increased pressure from rivals.
Although some fans initially feared that Verstappen himself could face disqualification following the race, the Dutchman avoided any major punishment. Instead, the four-time world champion was handed a five-second time penalty for crossing the white line at pit exit during the grand prix.
Despite the sanction, Verstappen managed to limit the damage in the championship standings, though the penalty once again highlighted Red Bull’s increasingly difficult season as rivals continue to close the gap.
The Miami weekend also reignited discussion about Red Bull’s technical struggles with the RB22. Team technical director Pierre Waché admitted the squad had taken too long to properly address steering and balance problems that had affected the car during the opening races of the campaign.
Those issues have reportedly left drivers struggling for consistency, especially over long race stints, and Red Bull’s dominance from previous seasons now appears far less secure.
The combination of technical concerns, FIA penalties and public apologies has created mounting pressure inside the reigning champions’ camp as Formula 1 heads deeper into the 2026 season.
With rival teams continuing to improve and the championship fight becoming increasingly competitive, Red Bull now faces a critical period in its attempt to regain full control at the front of the grid.