Formula 1's governing body has imposed a £43,000 (€50,000) penalty on Red Bull Racing, with £21,500 (€25,000) suspended until season's end, following a safety violation at Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Austin.
The sanction arose when a Red Bull employee attempted to interfere with rival McLaren's grid preparation for driver Lando Norris, who started second behind polesitter Max Verstappen.
The team member sought to remove adhesive tape that McLaren had affixed to the pitwall adjacent to Norris's starting position.
Teams employ such visual markers to assist drivers in accurately positioning their vehicles within designated grid boxes, given the restricted visibility from modern F1 cockpits.
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The incident occurred after the formation lap had commenced, when track access is strictly prohibited for safety reasons.
According to FIA documentation, the Red Bull staff member breached safety protocols by entering the gate well area near the second grid position whilst marshals were attempting to secure the track perimeter.
A Red Bull member of staff removed adhesive tape used by McLaren to give Lando Norris a visual marker as to where to position his car
|REUTERS
Track officials reported that the individual failed to respond to their attempts to prevent access to the restricted zone. The stewards determined that any personnel affiliated with teams must understand that track entry after grid clearance is "absolutely prohibited".
The violation was captured on trackside CCTV footage, though it escaped the attention of television cameras broadcasting the race. Gate closure procedures are essential safety measures that must be completed before races can commence.
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The FIA emphasised that "hindering or delaying the process of closing the gates before the race start must be considered as an unsafe act", justifying what they termed a "significant penalty".
It has been widely reported that this represents part of an established pattern of competitive tactics between the teams.
McLaren has reportedly begun using more durable adhesive tape specifically to counter such interference attempts.
The practice of placing grid markers falls within regulatory boundaries, as no rules prohibit teams from using visual aids or rivals from removing them.
McLaren secured FIA approval at the season's start to employ tape markers for grid positioning.
The markers serve a practical purpose following Norris's positioning error in Bahrain earlier this year, which resulted in a five-second penalty.
Lando Norris finished second to Max Verstappen at the US Grand Prix
|REUTERS
Drivers struggle to see track surface markings from their cockpits, making the wall-mounted tape strips at head height crucial reference points when returning to grid slots after the formation lap.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies addressed the matter following a 75-minute delay to his post-race media briefing, during which he attended the stewards' hearing.
"We fully respect the stewards," Mekies stated before the verdict was announced. "But certainly on our side we do not feel that we have ignored any instructions. We did not get any specific instructions."
He characterised the episode as "probably a misunderstanding" and acknowledged it was "something we can do better in the future".
During the investigation, a Red Bull representative claimed the team member "was not aware of the efforts of the marshals to stop him".
However, stewards rejected this defence, maintaining that safety protocols must be observed regardless of whether personnel recognise officials' interventions.