F1 star Nico Hulkenberg was unable to even start the Miami Grand Prix sprint race, after a dramatic incident pre-race.

Hulkenberg was completing his lap to the grid when his Audi power unit caught fire, with smoke and flames pouring out of the German’s car.

He was able to bring his car to a stop at the side of the circuit, where marshals extinguished the flames, but Hulkenberg’s participation in the sprint race was confirmed to be over by Audi racing director Allan McNish, while his participation in grand prix qualifying later on Saturday was also in doubt.

“We had something in the garage which we thought was sorted out, but clearly there was a problem going to the grid, and we need to get the car back to have a look at it,” McNish confirmed to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz, before Kravitz then asked about qualifying.

“We need to get it back before we can really see,” McNish replied.

It meant that Audi had just one car taking to the grid for the start of the Miami GP sprint race, with Gabriel Bortoleto their only hope of scoring points, starting the race from 11th with eighth place good enough for points in a sprint race.

READ MORE: FIA investigate Lando Norris after infringement at Miami Grand Prix

Will Hulkenberg be taking part in qualifying?

After the sprint race action, there will be around three hours before attentions switch to the grand prix, with grand prix qualifying taking place at 4pm local time on Saturday.

It will be a race against time for Audi to figure out what’s wrong with Hulkenberg’s car and fix it before Q1 is over.

If a completely new power unit is needed, then that is unlikely to be fixed in time, but if it’s something more simple, then Audi may just manage to get the German out there.

Audi are in a fortunate position in 2026 in that it’s highly likely that four of the six Q1 exit spots will be taken by the two Cadillac cars and the two Aston Martins, meaning just one lap from Hulkenberg could be enough to get into Q2 and a half-decent grid position for Sunday’s race.

As for the sprint race, there was an empty grid slot where Hulkenberg’s Audi should have been, a bonus for the likes of Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz who qualified directly behind him.

READ MORE: FIA announce Ferrari punishment at Miami Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton has been handed a major Ferrari lift, Max Verstappen is facing fresh pressure at Red Bull, and the Miami Grand Prix weekend has already been hit by FIA changes and weather fears. Here are the biggest F1 stories on Thursday April 30.

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari title push has suddenly come alive

Lewis Hamilton has been backed to launch a real bid for an eighth world title, with the Miami Grand Prix a key weekend for Ferrari’s momentum.

The Scuderia are expected to bring major upgrades to south Florida and that could be good news for the seven-time world champion.

➡️ READ MORE

Max Verstappen heads into Miami with Red Bull under pressure

Max Verstappen arrives at the Miami Grand Prix with growing questions around Red Bull’s recovery and whether the team can still match expectations.

That uncertainty means Verstappen is again one of the biggest talking points of the weekend before a wheel has even turned.

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Kelly Piquet spills the beans on Max Verstappen relationship

Kelly Piquet has opened up about living in the F1 pressure cooker with world champion Max Verstappen.

The Brazilian model and influencer went deep about her life and her family in an interview with a Mexican magazine.

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Hamilton reveals dating nightmare: Calling Mum and ‘should I run?’

Hamilton has opened up about his worst dating nightmare, and we can confirm it came long before any rumoured relationship with Kim Kardashian.

The 41-year-old dropped the details during a dinner with lifelong friends which was filmed for water giant San Pellegrino.

➡️ READ MORE

Miami weather threat leaves F1 facing a tense wait

Lightning and storm fears have put potential race disruption on the radar ahead of Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.

With the event already dealing with schedule changes, the weather threat has added a fresh layer of uncertainty.

➡️ READ MORE

FIA trial could create new trouble for Hamilton and Ferrari

An FIA trial in Miami is a possible threat to Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari at exactly the wrong moment in their season.

It could blunt what has been Ferrari’s biggest weapon so far this season.

➡️ READ MORE

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One F1 star has supported Lando Norris after his interview with The Guardian went viral on social media.

The Guardian’s Donald McRae’s sit-down interview with Norris raised eyebrows online after the reigning champion’s management allegedly censored his responses during the exchange.

McRae claimed that at one stage Norris told him he ‘was not the boss’, and that he had allegedly been sent a message beforehand, specifically asking him not to ask questions about Norris’ friendship and rivalry with Max Verstappen and George Russell, or about the new 2026 regulations.

When McRae did bring up these topics, Norris’ management company apparently stepped in and said ‘we’re done with time’.

McRae also alleged that the management team gave a generic quote to be used in a line about Verstappen on behalf of Norris: “He’s an amazing guy, Max is the best person ever and we love him. Quote.”

Now, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has defended Norris and his management following the exchange, and claimed the interview was designed to catch the champion out.

READ MORE: McLaren F1 boss accuses Red Bull of having ‘unhealthy’ setup

Montoya defends Norris

Speaking on the AS Columbia podcast, Montoya said: “Of course, but Lando handled it very well and pretended he was going to answer, even though he knew he wasn’t allowed to and that they would stop him.

“But the journalist did indeed handle it poorly.”

“If you are told: we have an exclusive interview with Lando, but you are not allowed to ask this, and you do it anyway, then I will never speak to you again. Do you know what happens?

“Journalists never ask those questions with good intentions, there is never a good purpose behind it, they try to trip the person up or get them to say something wrong to use it as a headline, and they attack someone with those questions.”

READ MORE: ‘F1 has no problems’ – Why Stefano Domenicali was right to deny issues in controversial interview

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