Red Bull Fined €50,000 Over Grid-Tape Interference

The FIA fined Red Bull €50,000, with €25,000 suspended if the offence is not repeated this season, after a team member re-entered the grid area during the formation lap at the United States Grand Prix. Stewards found the person had tried to remove tape McLaren had placed to guide Lando Norris into his grid slot and ruled that hindering or delaying the closing of the gates before the race start is unsafe and prohibited. Stewards said marshals had attempted to prevent the entry and that Red Bull told them the staffer was unaware of the marshals’ efforts. Paddock sources suggested this may not have been the first time Red Bull tried to interfere with rivals’ grid tape, prompting teams such as McLaren to use stronger tape, though this is the first time the team has been penalised. The outcome was a financial penalty only and did not affect the race result — Max Verstappen won in Austin while Lando Norris finished second — and Red Bull said it would address the procedural lapse going forward.