F1 ‘tapegate’: Norris jabs at Red Bull's “amusing sidequest” fail

Lando Norris says Red Bull’s “amusing sidequest” attempt at tampering with his tape marker at the United States Grand Prix backfired because he didn’t need it.

Red Bull were fined €50,000, of which €25,000 was suspended on the condition a repeat offence is not committed, for trying to sabotage a maker left to help Norris find his grid spot ahead of last Sunday’s race in Austin.

It emerged that a Red Bull crew member attempted to access the grid during the formation lap to remove a strip of tape left by McLaren on the pitwall to help Norris position his car in his P2 grid spot.

The incident highlighted the gamesmanship at play amid Red Bull and McLaren’s championship battle in 2025, but it was not the first instance of Red Bull trying to tamper with Norris’s markers.

Norris found Red Bull’s antics amusing when questioned about it ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

"It didn't matter; I didn't use the tape, so it was extra amusing because I didn't need it,” the Briton told reports in Mexico City.

“We just put it there in case, so it made it extra funny because they got a penalty for it and I didn't even need it.

”They also tried to remove it and failed because we made it specially so they couldn't take it off. Just amusing little sidequests, I guess for the teams to entertain themselves. But we were the ones laughing about it, I guess.”

Norris has ‘repercussions’ removed

McLaren have dropped the “repercussions” Norris faced for colliding with teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri in Singapore after the Australian was deemed responsible for their latest clash in the United States.

Both McLarens retired with terminal damage at the first corner of the Austin sprint race after Piastri was hit by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, before being sent flying into the side of Norris.

Norris sits 14 points behind Piastri with 141 points still left up for grabs across the remaining five race weekends.

"Pretty easy talks, it's good from now on, just looking ahead for the rest of the season. It's what this was before, but it's all always forward,” Norris said.

“I focus on myself do what I've got to do, of course it's better when there's nothing in the way or nothing, That might be a slight disadvantage, which it was before."