Red Bull unfazed by Hadjar's Miami struggles despite team and driver errors

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has dismissed concerns over Isack Hadjar's disastrous Miami Grand Prix weekend, attributing the rookie's struggles to a combination of team errors and driver mistakes rather than a fundamental lack of pace. Despite a disqualification from qualifying and a race-ending crash, Mekies expressed confidence that Hadjar will return to form at the next round in Montreal.

Why it matters:

For a team that has grappled with finding a consistent performer alongside Max Verstappen since Daniel Ricciardo's departure, evaluating a rookie's resilience and ability to rebound from a poor weekend is critical. Hadjar's performance under pressure and his capacity to learn from such setbacks will be key factors in Red Bull's long-term driver strategy.

The details:

• A Weekend to Forget: Hadjar's Miami GP unraveled after he was disqualified from qualifying due to an illegal car floorboard, a mistake Red Bull admitted was its own. Forced to start from the pit lane, he made early progress before crashing out on lap five.
• Shared Blame: Mekies emphasized the weekend was not clean "on both sides." The team failed to spot a 2mm infringement on a mandatory bargeboard part before parc ferme, while Hadjar later conceded he lost focus and was "too eager" during his recovery drive, leading to the crash.
• Pace Paradox: Despite the results, Hadjar indicated he felt the upgraded RB20 was faster in Miami. He cited Verstappen's improved sprint and race pace as evidence but admitted he personally struggled to extract that performance all weekend.
• Management Backing: Mekies was clear that the team is not worried, pointing to Hadjar's much closer performance to Verstappen in the first three rounds as the true indicator of his speed. He expects a return to form in Canada.

What's next:

The immediate focus shifts to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, where both team and driver will seek a clean weekend to reset.

• Mekies stated there is "every indication" Hadjar will be back at the right speed, framing Miami as an anomalous blip.
• For Hadjar, the task is to analyze his first genuine pace struggle of the season, dig deep to understand the car updates better, and convert his perceived feeling of speed into actual lap time and race results.