Red Bull handed hefty fine for formation lap misstep in Austin

While it was a banner weekend in Austin for Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the Milton Keynes-based outfit also found itself in hot water with the US Grand Prix stewards following a pre-race breach that warranted a hefty €50,000 fine.

According to the FIA stewards, a Red Bull team member entered a restricted area next to Gate One at the Circuit of the Americas, between the pit wall and the track during the formation lap – a clear violation of race regulations that require all personnel to be clear of the grid once the lap begins.

After reviewing video evidence and meeting with a Red Bull representative, the stewards ruled that the team was in breach of the rules.

However, in a small reprieve, half of the fine has been suspended until the end of the year, provided there’s no repeat offense.

According to several reports, the purpose of a Red Bull mechanic slipping back onto the track during the formation lap was to to yank off Lando Norris’ grid marker tape in a cheeky bid to throw him off his game!

Stewards Explain the Decision

In their formal statement, the stewards detailed what happened and why the sanction was necessary:

“A team member re-entered the gate well area at Gate One 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 to 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. In order to prevent any reoccurrence, a portion of the financial penalty is suspended.”

Safety Comes First

The stewards’ wording leaves little doubt: the focus here is on safety and procedure, not intent. The “gate well area” sits dangerously close to live track space, and with cars moving off the grid for the formation lap, the window for error is razor-thin.

For Red Bull, the fine serves as a sharp reminder that even a front-running team can’t afford a slip in protocol. With half the penalty hanging over the bulls until season’s end, the team will no doubt be extra cautious when the lights go out in Mexico City next weekend.

Read also: Sainz hit with five-place grid drop after Antonelli clash

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