Lando Norris in his McLaren© AFP
Formula One side Red Bull Racing was handed a €50,000 fine by the FIA after a team member attempted to remove a visual marker (tape) from McLaren driver Lando Norris’ grid slot just as the formation lap started at the United States Grand Prix. The incident occurred when a Red Bull team member re-entered a prohibited area of the grid, near the second position, after the cars had pulled away. Stewards issued the fine for breaching the International Sporting Code by failing to adhere to safety instructions. The team member reportedly ignored warnings from pit marshals to stay off the track. A fine of €25,000 was suspended for the rest of the season.
As the matter escalated, it was reported that the team member’s objective was to peel off a piece of tape stuck to the wall next to Norris’s grid slot, which the British driver would have used to line up his car perfectly. While both placing the tape and attempting to remove such a visual aid are legal under F1 sporting regulations, the sanction resulted solely from personnel returning to the live track after the formation lap began.
A report in the New York Times quoted a source saying that McLaren had recently started using tamper-proof tape due to previous removals, which may have necessitated the dangerous timing of the Red Bull member’s attempt.
Red Bull F1 chief Laurent Mekies described the issue as a “misunderstanding”.
“We went to see the video with the FIA, and for sure it’s something we can do better in the future. But certainly on our side we do not feel that we have ignored any instructions. We did not get any specific instructions, so I think it’s a very small thing, but nonetheless, something we will address in the future,” Mekies said.
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