Liam Lawson Could Start 11th in Miami GP as Isack Hadjar Faces DQ

Liam Lawson is positioned to move up to an 11th-place start for the Miami Grand Prix following the anticipated disqualification of Isack Hadjar. The shift in the grid order comes as Hadjar faces exclusion from the qualifying results due to a technical breach of Formula 1 regulations.

According to reports from Motorsport, Hadjar’s RB22 was found to be illegal during the scrutineering process. The technical breach pertains to the dimensions of the vehicle, which failed to meet the mandatory specifications set by the governing body.

Technical Breach and Scrutineering

The disqualification process is triggered when a car fails the post-qualifying technical inspection. In this instance, the dimensions of Hadjar’s car were found to be non-compliant, a violation that typically results in the total deletion of the driver’s qualifying times.

Because Hadjar’s times are expected to be stripped, the remaining drivers who qualified behind him move forward one position. This movement places Lawson, a former teammate of Hadjar, into the 11th spot on the grid.

Miami Grand Prix Grid Context

The qualifying session for the Miami event has been marked by significant volatility and stewards’ interventions. While Lawson benefits from Hadjar’s technical failure, other drivers have faced setbacks due to administrative and monitoring errors.

Among those affected was Williams driver Alex Albon, who was stripped of his sprint qualifying result. The FIA acknowledged a monitoring failure regarding track limits, which ultimately forced Albon to start the Saturday sprint race from 19th position.

At the front of the field, the competitive landscape has shifted with McLaren securing its first pole position of the 2026 season. Lando Norris claimed the top spot in Sprint Qualifying, leading a front row that includes championship leader Kimi Antonelli and teammate Oscar Piastri.

Lawson’s Opportunity

Moving into 11th place provides Lawson with a more advantageous starting position, placing him on the cusp of the top ten. In the high-attrition environment of the Miami International Autodrome, a single-position gain can significantly alter a driver’s ability to manage tire wear and defend positions during the race.

The ruling on Hadjar’s exclusion is a critical development for the mid-field battle, as the RB22’s technical non-compliance removes a competitive Red Bull-affiliated entry from the primary qualifying order.