Pierre Gasly flipped and Isack Hadjar crashed out of the Miami Grand Prix, incidents that together forced an early safety car and disrupted the race’s opening phase.

Accounts differ on the precise timing. Some reports said the incidents occurred on lap 6, and one report placed Gasly’s flip on lap 5, but all sources agree the two crashes happened close together.

Gasly’s Alpine flipped into the tire barrier at Turn 17 after contact with Liam Lawson, who lunged down the inside while Gasly was contesting Williams’ Alex Albon. The car came to rest on top of the barrier and Gasly quickly reported he was OK and uninjured. Hadjar also crashed out.

Max Verstappen said Red Bull’s sudden performance turnaround at the Miami Grand Prix stemmed as much from a repaired steering system as from aerodynamic upgrades. He described a complete overhaul of the steering assembly, including replacement of the steering rack and supporting components after tracing the fault back to the Barcelona test, and said the fix let him “steer normally” again rather than feel like “a passenger.” The mechanical repair, found during F1’s enforced five-week break, combined with the aero package to restore his comfort, confidence and competitive pace.

The aerodynamic package fitted over the break included Red Bull’s interpretation of Ferrari’s “Macarena” rear wing, revised sidepods, a fresh floor and refinements to the engine cover and exhaust to stabilize airflow. The updates and the steering repair together made the RB22 “feel more together,” and Verstappen said the team had “almost halved” the deficit to the leaders and called the recovery “incredible.”

The on-track effect showed in Miami: Verstappen qualified on the front row, P2 and 0.166 seconds behind pole, and finished fifth in the Sprint, though he and team bosses acknowledged remaining weaknesses in the high-speed first sector and on race starts. Red Bull carried out much of the testing and fitting work during the five-week pause, and Sky Sports commentators said the car was starting to behave as he expected and suggested the changes could spark a resurgence. Red Bull is also preparing for internal staff changes, including the previously announced 2028 departure of long-time race engineer GianPiero Lambiase, as the team builds on the Miami improvements ahead of Sunday’s race.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed Formula 1 plans to return to V8 engines, with the FIA targeting 2030 for implementation. “It’s coming,” he told media, and he said votes by teams and power‑unit manufacturers led the FIA to set 2030 as the target.

Ben Sulayem described the proposed V8 generation as lighter, cheaper, simpler and producing a louder sound favored by purist fans. He said the design would feature only “very, very minor electrification” and run on sustainable fuels, and the FIA says the move will reduce technical complexity, restore more engine‑driven power and boost road‑car relevance after the era that included the MGU‑H.

Current F1 power units are turbocharged 1.6‑litre V6 hybrids that use only the MGU‑K, with recent regulations having shifted roughly half the power to electrical hybrid systems. The proposed rules would shift emphasis back toward combustion power. Ben Sulayem explicitly ruled out a return to V10 engines and noted F1 previously used V8s from 2006 through 2013. He said the FIA could try to accelerate the change and warned that once the 2031 regulation cycle begins the FIA would have the authority to impose the switch even without manufacturers’ votes. Power‑unit manufacturers could try to delay any shift before 2031 via a supermajority. Manufacturers such as Ferrari, Mercedes, Audi and Cadillac were cited as having road‑car relevance to V8s; GM president Mark Reuss has said Cadillac intends to be a factory works team by the end of the decade. McLaren’s Andrea Stella cautioned that meaningful hardware changes are unlikely before 2028. The FIA says official confirmation of the plan is expected soon.

Gabriel Bortoleto was disqualified from the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix Sprint after post-race scrutineering found his Audi R26 exceeded the maximum permitted engine intake air pressure of 4.8 barA. FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer reported that FIA-approved sensors mounted downstream of the charge air cooling system recorded a pressure spike above the 4.8 barA limit for one lap as temperatures rose, and cited non-compliance with Article C5.3.2. Race stewards applied the standard disqualification, removing Bortoleto’s 11th-place Sprint result and any potential points, and promoting Esteban Ocon to 11th place.

Audi acknowledged the pressure exceedance occurred over a single lap and attributed it to unexpectedly high temperatures. Team representatives said they reduced intake pressure once they became aware of the spike, and an Audi representative confirmed the measurements when stewards double-checked the data. Audi also stripped the rear axle to isolate the issue and reinstalled a gearbox and the whole rear axle in about half an hour, a recovery Bortoleto described as a “miracle.” That repair delayed his entry into Q1, produced the slowest lap in Q1 and, according to Bortoleto, hampered his chances in qualifying. Both Audi drivers were due to start Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix from the back of the grid.

The disqualification came amid a separate mechanical failure for Audi, when team-mate Nico Hülkenberg suffered a power-unit failure that produced smoke and flames and prevented him from starting the Sprint. The ruling underscored the role of FIA-approved sensor data in post-session scrutineering and the strict enforcement of FIA technical regulations.

Kimi Antonelli secured his third consecutive pole position at the Miami Grand Prix, extending an extraordinary start to his Formula 1 career. Driving for Mercedes, Antonelli posted a best Q3 lap of 1:27.798 to beat Max Verstappen by 0.166 seconds and was quickest through every phase of qualifying. He sealed pole without a second Q3 attempt after locking up into Turn 1 on his final outing.

The rest of the front rows reflected fine margins and recent mid-season development gains. Verstappen qualified second with a 1:27.964, Charles Leclerc was third on 1:28.143, and Sprint winner Lando Norris qualified fourth on 1:28.183. George Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate, took fifth with a 1:28.197, Lewis Hamilton was sixth on 1:28.319 and Oscar Piastri seventh on 1:28.500. The result left Antonelli leading the drivers’ championship by seven points over Russell.

The Miami weekend featured upgrades from McLaren, Ferrari and others that shifted the pecking order as changing temperatures and windy conditions affected runs. Technical dramas interrupted sessions, with Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto suffering a power-unit issue and later a left-rear brake fire after being disqualified from the Sprint for an incorrect engine air intake. With three straight poles to start his career, Antonelli joined Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna in matching that feat at their first three races.