US Grand Prix: Red Bull fined for trying to remove tape indicating Lando Norris’ position on the grid

McLaren asked the FIA ​​at the start of the season if they could use tape to mark grid positions in this way.

Drivers are penalized if they do not place their cars correctly on the grid. Placing the tape on the wall next to the track is intended to help them do this, as visibility outside the cars is limited and drivers cannot easily see the lines on the track that indicate their grid box.

A Red Bull representative at the investigation hearing into the matter said the team member in question “informed him that he was unaware of the guards’ efforts to stop him,” a supervisors report said.

The report added: “However, the stewards decide that anyone belonging to a team or other stakeholders should be aware that entering the track or obstructing safety procedures to prepare the track for the race after the grid has been cleared is strictly prohibited.

“Therefore, regardless of whether the instructions of the relevant officials have been carried out by the person concerned or not, obstructing or delaying the process of closing the gates before the start of the race must be considered an unsafe act and therefore a significant penalty to the team is justified.”

McLaren and Red Bull declined to comment.

Before the cause of the accident emerged and before the stewards issued their ruling, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekes said he believed the accident was a “misunderstanding.”

He added: “We went to watch the video with the FIA. Certainly, it is something we can do better in the future, but certainly from our side we do not feel that we ignored any instructions and did not receive any specific instructions.”

“So I think it’s very small things, but nonetheless something we will address in the future.”