Tape incident, Laurent Mekies downplays controversy: “Just a misunderstanding”. Laurent Mekies described the tape incident involving Red Bull and McLaren in Austin.

After the United States Grand Prix, an unusual episode emerged involving Red Bull and McLaren on the Austin starting grid. According to reports, a Red Bull mechanic allegedly removed a piece of adhesive tape used by Lando Norris to correctly position his McLaren on the grid slot before the start. The episode, though not directly prohibited by the sporting regulations, was deemed improper interference, leading to a €50,000 fine for Red Bull.

A soft act of sabotage

The incident occurred during the formation lap, when a Red Bull team member entered the grid area and detached the positioning tape from the pit wall. While there is no specific clause in the Formula 1 sporting code banning such a move, the stewards penalized Red Bull for obstructing the starting procedure.

The situation escalated when the Red Bull mechanic reportedly returned to the track ignoring calls from the stewards, who were in the process of closing the access gate. It was seen as a rather unorthodox move by the team of Max Verstappen, interpreted by some as an attempt to unsettle McLaren ahead of the race start. It added to the perception that Red Bull is leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit of victory, even resorting to subtle psychological tactics to disrupt its competitors.

Mekies plays down the situation

While the FIA investigation was still ongoing, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies chose a calm and measured approach when addressing the media. He stated: “I spoke with our team members, and they are confident that they always followed the stewards’ instructions. I think it was simply a misunderstanding.”

After the fine was officially issued, Laurent Mekies continued to downplay the controversy and avoided escalating the matter: “We reviewed the footage together with the FIA, and it’s definitely something we can handle better in the future. From our side, we don’t believe we ignored any instructions — mainly because none were given to us. In any case, it’s a very minor issue that we will correct moving forward. I fully respect the stewards’ decision.” – the former Ferrari deputy team boss explained ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.

By acknowledging the ruling and stressing the importance of improved procedures, Laurent Mekies showed his intent to keep the team’s focus firmly on racing performance rather than off-track distractions. Despite the odd nature of the incident, Red Bull’s competitive intensity remains as sharp as ever, even in seemingly trivial situations.