Red Bull escapes Max Verstappen race victory disqualification, receives €50,000 fine | F1 USA GP. Red Bull retains Max Verstappen’s victory at the 2025 United States GP.

F1 | Red Bull retains Verstappen’s win with only a fine from the FIA

The outcome of the United States Grand Prix was briefly in question due to an incident involving a Red Bull mechanic before the start. The team member had delayed returning from the gate connecting the pit lane to the grid during the formation lap. Ultimately, the FIA decided to sanction the team with a €50,000 fine.

Immediately after the race, celebrations for Max Verstappen’s victory were interrupted when the Red Bull sporting director was summoned to the race direction at the request of the panel of race stewards. The FIA had flagged a potential violation by the Milton Keynes-based team under Article 12.2.1.i of the International Sporting Code, which pertains to personnel leaving the pit lane.

As per standard procedure, once the cars have left the grid, all mechanics involved in pre-race operations return to the garage, and after the flow is complete, the stewards close the access gates for safety reasons. In this case, however, a Red Bull mechanic returned to the gate area connecting the pit lane to the grid, located near the front row, after the formation lap had already begun.

This maneuver, prohibited by the regulations, cost Red Bull a €50,000 penalty. Since the infraction directly affects safety—a key concern for the FIA—the stewards adopted a strict approach to the financial penalty. However, they also decided to suspend half of the fine, €25,000, provided a similar incident does not occur in the future.

“A team member returned to the gate area at Gate 1, near the second grid position, after the formation lap had already started and while the stewards were closing the gate. According to the track stewards’ report, the team member did not respond to attempts to prevent him from accessing the gate area,” the FIA statement read.

During the hearing, it emerged that the Red Bull team member claimed not to have noticed the stewards’ efforts to stop him from returning near the gate. For the FIA, however, this explanation does not justify the action, as it still hindered the completion of the necessary safety measures for the race start.

“The team representative stated during the hearing that the team member informed him he was unaware of the stewards’ efforts to stop him. Nevertheless, the Race Stewards determined that anyone affiliated with a team or other involved parties must be aware that entering the track or obstructing safety measures after the grid has been cleared is strictly prohibited.”

“Therefore, regardless of whether the instructions from the officials were perceived by the individual, obstructing or delaying the gate closure process before the start must be considered unsafe, and a significant team penalty is justified. To prevent any recurrence, a portion of the financial penalty has been suspended.”