McLaren has been fined a total of €30,000 by the Monaco Grand Prix stewards, with €10,000 of that amount suspended for 12 months, after the team admitted to tampering with the Clutch Disengagement System (CDS) on Lando Norris's car during Free Practice 2. The incident resulted in the car being recovered with trolley wheels rather than via the CDS.
Incident and Recovery
During FP2 at the Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris stopped on track in the run-off area of the Nouvelle Chicane. Race Control implemented virtual safety car conditions to recover the car. Marshals initially encountered difficulty recovering the MCL40.
Investigation and Findings
The FIA Technical Delegate reported that the CDS did not function as required by Article C9.3 of the Formula 1 Regulations, prompting an investigation. The stewards determined that McLaren had placed transparent tape over the CDS button for aerodynamic reasons. The tape prevented the button from being broken without a tool, rendering the system inoperable for quick activation by a marshal wearing protective gloves. McLaren admitted to this during the hearing.
Penalty
The stewards imposed a fine of €30,000, with €10,000 suspended for 12 months, meaning McLaren is required to pay €20,000. The stewards considered a lower suspended amount than in a previous penalty because teams should have been alerted to the importance of the CDS system after an earlier sanction against Racing Bulls in Canada.