The FIA has explained why it took a particularly dim view of what it considered to be a safety breach by a Red Bull team member that centred around the grid spot of Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix.
Red Bull was fined €50,000, €25,000 of which is suspended for the remainder of this season, following a post-race investigation by the stewards at the Circuit of the Americas.
After Max Verstappen sealed his fifth victory of the year with a dominant display at the Austin venue, Red Bull was summoned for an alleged infringement of Article 12.2.1.i of the FIA International Sporting Code, related to a grid infringement before the race, notably "failing to follow the instructions of relevant officials”.
RacingNews365 understands the incident centred on a Red Bull team member trying to return to the track to remove tape applied to the wall alongside the grid slot of McLaren driver Norris, who was starting second behind polesitter Verstappen.
The tape is used as an aid to help drivers correctly align their cars in their grid slots due to the limited visibility from the cockpit. Drivers have been penalised in the past for being out of position on the grid.
On this occasion, the Red Bull team member ignored the intervention of the track officials. His actions were deemed to be a safety breach.
Although a Red Bull team representative attempted to argue the case on behalf of the team member concerned, the FIA were left far from impressed and handed out a financial penalty.
Explaining their judgment, the stewards' document read: "A team member re-entered the gate well area at gate 1 in proximity of the second grid position after the formation lap had commenced and at the moment the pit marshals started to close the gate.
"According to the report from the pit marshals, the team member did not appear to react to their efforts to prevent him from entering the gate well area.
"The team representative stated during the hearing that the team member informed him that he was not aware of the efforts of the marshals to stop him.
"However, the stewards determine that any person affiliated with a team, or other stakeholders, should be aware that entering the track or hindering the safety measures to prepare the track for the race after the grid has been cleared is absolutely prohibited.
"Thus, irrespective of whether or not the instructions of the relevant officials have been realised by the person concerned, hindering or delaying the process of closing the gates before the race start must be considered as an unsafe act, and therefore a significant penalty to the team is warranted
"To prevent any recurrence, a portion of the financial penalty is suspended."
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