McLaren fined $30,000: neutral button covered with tape for aerodynamic purposes
McLaren escaped with a substantial $30,000 fine, although $10,000 of that amount has been suspended for one year provided the team does not commit a similar offence during that period. The penalty followed an incident involving Lando Norris’ MCL40 during FP2 in Monaco.
After suffering an electrical problem, Norris came to a halt in the escape road at the Nouvelle Chicane. However, moving the stranded car to a safe location proved more complicated than expected because the marshals discovered that the transmission remained locked in gear.
Formula 1 cars are equipped with a dedicated neutral button located on the left-hand side of the chassis, just ahead of the cockpit. Once activated, the system disengages the transmission by opening the clutch, allowing the car to roll freely so it can be pushed away by marshals.
Whenever they attend a stopped car, track marshals are trained to locate the red “N” marking and press the corresponding button to release the gearbox and move the vehicle safely off the circuit.
Safety controls hidden beneath tape
On the McLaren, the neutral button is part of a circular control panel that also includes switches to isolate the electrical systems and activate the onboard fire extinguisher. Because these controls are linked to important safety functions, marshals always intervene while wearing protective gloves.
According to the stewards’ findings, someone within the McLaren team had covered these crucial safety switches with adhesive tape. This is the same type of tape teams commonly use to seal bodywork gaps and joints in an effort to optimise aerodynamic airflow around the car.
The decision effectively concealed controls that are intended to remain immediately accessible in emergency situations.
A costly mistake for the Woking team
As a result, McLaren was found to be in breach of the regulations. During discussions with the stewards, the team reportedly acknowledged that the tape could not be removed without the use of a tool, making it impossible for marshals to access the controls quickly when Norris’ car stopped on track.
That meant the marshals were unable to carry out the standard procedure to release the gearbox and move the car promptly to a safe position.
What may have been intended as a small aerodynamic gain ultimately turned into an expensive error. The FIA took a firm stance on the matter, underlining once again that any measure which compromises access to safety systems will be treated extremely seriously.
In Formula 1, teams are constantly searching for performance advantages, but when safety is involved there is very little room for interpretation. McLaren learned that lesson the hard way in Monaco.
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