Formula 1 stewards have issued a £43,000 penalty to the Red Bull team after one of its personnel attempted to remove a rival’s grid positioning marker during the United States Grand Prix.
The incident occurred just before the race start in Austin, when a team member entered a restricted area along the pit wall in an effort to peel off a piece of tape placed by McLaren. The tape serves as a visual guide to help drivers accurately position their cars within their designated grid slots—a critical task given the limited visibility from the cockpit.
Though using such markers is not against the rules, entering the so-called “gate well area” after the formation lap has begun is strictly prohibited and considered an unsafe act. The individual involved was reportedly stopped by track marshals, but proceeded with the attempt regardless.
In a subsequent hearing, Red Bull representatives claimed the staff member was unaware of the marshals’ instructions. Team principal Laurent Mekies later referred to the situation as a “misunderstanding.”
This is not believed to be the first time Red Bull has interfered with McLaren’s grid markers, prompting the latter to explore new methods for positioning aids at the Circuit of the Americas.
