Norris came to a halt at the Nouvelle Chicane during second practice with an electrical issue, leaving his McLaren stranded in a run-off area.
While similar incidents can often be managed under a virtual safety car, marshals were unable to quickly move the car, forcing race control to stop the session.
The FIA later summoned Norris and team representatives to explain why the car’s clutch disengagement system (CDS) could not be activated by marshals during the recovery process.
According to the stewards’ report, McLaren admitted it had covered the activation button with transparent tape in an effort to improve aerodynamic performance.
“The team admitted that for aerodynamic purposes, it had placed transparent tape over the button that is required to be pressed to activate the CDS,” the stewards stated.
The FIA determined that the tape prevented marshals from carrying out the procedure the system was designed for, with the team acknowledging the button could not be activated by hand without using a tool.
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“This, in the opinion of the FIA representatives and admitted by the team, completely defeated the purpose of the CDS system, which is designed to be activated quickly by a marshal wearing protective gloves.
“The team conceded that it was not possible to break the tape and press the button by hand without the use of a tool.”
F1 regulations require all cars to be fitted with a clutch disengagement system that remains operational even if the car suffers a failure of its primary hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical systems.
The button must be clearly marked and positioned so it can be activated within seconds by either the driver or track marshals.
The penalty mirrors one handed to Racing Bulls at the previous round in Canada after Liam Lawson’s car stopped during practice and its CDS failed to function correctly.
However, while Racing Bulls had €20,000 ($32,680 AUD) of its fine suspended, McLaren received only a €10,000 ($16,340 AUD) suspension, meaning it must pay €20,000 immediately.
Stewards pointed to the recent Canadian case as a factor in their decision, suggesting the previous penalty should have served as a warning to the entire grid.
“The stewards have determined to suspend a lower amount of this penalty compared to a breach of this same regulation at the previous event, because that breach, and the subsequent penalty, should have alerted all teams to the importance of the CDS System.”
The ruling is the latest unusual F1 incident involving tape and McLaren machinery, following last year’s widely discussed “Tapegate” controversy in Austin, where Red Bull was caught removing tape from McLaren’s grid spot and was subsequently fined €50,000 ($81,700 AUD).
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