Red Bull’s tape gate: Mekies pledges 'control' after McLaren drama

The 48-year-old, reflecting on the tape incident that stole the spotlight in the aftermath of the United States Grand Prix, via The Athletic, revealed it is such a tactic entrenched in the history of Formula 1, before emphasising that such gamesmanship will be kept under control in future instances.

“I think it’s fair to say there have been quite a few silly games played by both teams in the last little while,” Mekies said.

In the aftermath of the race at the Circuit of the Americas, the Red Bull Racing team was handed a €50,000 fine after the FIA stated that a member of the team had entered the area of Gate 1 after the formation lap.

It was later revealed that staff from the Milton Keynes team attempted to remove a tape placed on the wall by the McLaren team, which Lando Norris used to hit his mark in the grid box ahead of the start of the race.

Norris found humour in the tape incident involving the Red Bull team at the Austin race. The McLaren driver labelled the incident amusing while stressing he did not need the tape to hit his grid box.

The British driver concluded by dubbing the incident a “little side quest” for the teams who found entertainment in such theatrics.

Stay tuned to all the action as it unfolds! Get the latest scoop, insight and analysis as they surface with our paddock update.

Follow GPblog channels on YouTube and Spotify to ensure you never miss a moment when a new episode of our updates drops.