“The regulations make it clear that the car needs to be in compliance ‘at all times’, which it was not,” said an FIA spokesperson after Gabriel Bortoleto was disqualified from the Miami Grand Prix Sprint race on May 2, 2026. Bortoleto’s car exceeded the permitted engine air intake pressure limit of 4.8 bar.
Bortoleto finished 11th on the road before his disqualification. The FIA confirmed the disqualification after conducting post-session technical checks. The Audi team acknowledged that the Technical Delegate’s finding was correct.
During the race weekend, Bortoleto faced multiple challenges. His rear brakes caught fire during qualifying, and he had to change the entire rear axle of his car. His team completed this replacement in just 30 minutes.
Bortoleto stated, “I think it was already a miracle to go to the track, but we try our best; we had problems, I had to stop the car on track and nothing I could do about it.” Despite these challenges, he and teammate Nico Hulkenberg were set to start the Grand Prix from the back of the grid.
The disqualification stemmed from a technical infringement that occurred over one lap. After identifying the issue, Bortoleto’s team took steps to bring the car back into compliance.
The FIA emphasized that compliance with technical regulations is crucial. They stated, “Given that this is a technical infringement, the usual penalty of a disqualification of Car 5 from the Sprint classification was applied.” This incident serves as a reminder of the stringent standards in Formula 1.
