McLaren received a significant financial penalty from the FIA, following an incident involving Lando Norris during the second free practice session for the Monaco Formula 1 GP. The team was fined 30,000 euros, with 10,000 conditionally suspended, after an infraction related to the safety system of the British driver’s car.
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The problem occurred at the start of FP2, when Norris had to interrupt his participation in the session and stop at the exit of the street circuit’s tunnel. The MCL40’s steering wheel suddenly shut down, leaving the car immobile and prompting intervention from marshals to remove the single-seater from the track.
During the rescue operation, the stewards attempted to activate the Clutch Disengagement System (CDS), a device designed to disengage the clutch and allow the car to be moved easily. However, the system could not be used as intended, forcing the marshals to resort to using a wheeled trolley to remove the car from the location.
After the incident, Norris and McLaren were summoned to provide clarification to the FIA stewards. The investigation revealed that the team had applied transparent tape over the button responsible for activating the CDS, which ultimately compromised the practical functioning of the device.
In the report released by the stewards, it was explained that team representatives admitted to the modification. According to the decision, the tape was installed for aerodynamic reasons, but it ended up nullifying the purpose of the system, which was developed to be quickly activated by marshals.
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Team officials also acknowledged that it was not possible to break the tape and press the button manually without the aid of a tool. For the FIA, this condition made the proper use of the CDS unfeasible in an emergency situation or for quick car removal.
This case had similarities to an investigation involving Liam Lawson at the Canadian GP, when Racing Bulls received a fine of 30,000 euros, with 20,000 euros suspended for twelve months. In McLaren’s case, the stewards chose to maintain the same penalty basis but reduced the suspended portion to 10,000 euros.
The justification presented by the stewards was that the previous incident had already served as a warning to teams about the importance of the correct functioning of the CDS. Thus, McLaren will effectively have to pay 20,000 euros, while the remaining 10,000 will remain suspended, conditional on similar future infractions.
Read more F1: Norris’ car shuts down at the start of FP2 and worries McLaren
