Max Verstappen wins in Austin, but there is trouble for Red Bull: An incident before the start results in a hefty fine and speculation about sabotage.
Is Red Bull trying everything it can to get back into the World Championship fight? After the US Grand Prix in Austin, which Max Verstappen won in superior fashion, the team from Milton Keynes had to appear before the race commissioners—and was fined €50,000.
What happened? Shortly before the start of the race, a Red Bull employee entered the starting grid again, even though the formation lap was already underway. In doing so, the team violated Articles 12.2.1.h and 12.2.1.i of the FIA International Sporting Code.
However, there was an explosive reason why the team member returned to the track: according to several sources confirmed to Motorsport-Total.com, the mechanic apparently wanted to remove a piece of tape from the pit wall in order to sabotage McLaren driver Lando Norris.
What is the significance of the tape?
The adhesive strip, also known as a “grid marker,” had been applied by McLaren. It serves as a guide for drivers to find their exact position in the starting grid. Because visibility from the cockpit is severely limited and the markings on the asphalt are barely visible, the strip makes it easier to park precisely.
Red Bull were fined €50,000 in Austin because one of their mechanics re-entered the track during the formation lap to try and remove Lando Norris’ reference tape for his grid spot pic.twitter.com/yAfATjOUzD
— Autosport (@autosport) October 20, 2025
The markings are intended to prevent drivers from accidentally crossing the starting grid line and risking a penalty. Ironically, Lando Norris was given a five-second penalty at the start of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix for not taking up his starting position correctly.
Although the incident in Austin was not captured by TV cameras, one of the track surveillance cameras apparently recorded the situation. The race stewards had no choice but to sanction Red Bull: the team was fined €50,000, half of which was suspended.
The stewards’ official reasoning for the decision
The official reasoning for the decision states that “during the hearing, the team representative explained that the team member had told him that he was unaware of the marshals’ attempts to stop him.”
“However, the stewards noted that every person belonging to a team or other party involved must be aware that entering the track or obstructing safety measures in preparation for the track after the starting grid has been cleared is strictly prohibited.”
“Regardless of whether or not the instructions of the officials in charge were noticed by the person concerned, obstructing or delaying the closing of the gates before the start of the race must be considered unsafe behavior that warrants a significant penalty for the team.”
Red Bull’s “attempted sabotage” not punishable
However, the actual “attempted sabotage” had no consequences for Red Bull: the regulations do not prohibit teams from applying such markings. Similarly, there is no provision prohibiting other teams from removing them.
For this reason, this part of the incident does not appear in the official documents of the race management. The actual rule violation consisted solely of “failure to comply with the instructions of the officials in charge,” in this case the marshals who wanted to close the gate to the starting grid.
It is no secret that Red Bull has frequently attempted to manipulate McLaren’s markings in the past. According to information from the paddock, McLaren has responded to this and is now using a particularly strong adhesive to prevent such incidents in the future.
