Finnish driver will start normally in Cadillac’s Formula 1 debut
Valtteri Bottas confirmed that he will not need to serve a five-place grid penalty at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. The Finn returns to Formula 1 after 15 months away and will make his debut for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, a team starting its first season in the category.
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Initially, it was expected that Bottas would have to serve a five-place grid drop due to a penalty received in his last Formula 1 race, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On that occasion, the driver was involved in two collisions during the race, first with Sergio Perez, who is now his teammate at Cadillac, and then with Kevin Magnussen.
Bottas received two time penalties in the race at Yas Marina, but retired from the race before he could serve them in full. As a consequence, the punishment was converted into a five-place grid drop for the next applicable race.
However, with the entry into force of the new Formula 1 regulations in 2026, the penalty ended up being annulled. Bottas himself confirmed the information on his social media.
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“It’s great to be back here in Melbourne, in the paddock, for the first race of the 2026 season,” said the driver. “And it gets even better, I have some good news for you. You know that five-place grid penalty? It’s gone. With the new regulations, it simply disappeared. Happy days.”
Thus, Bottas will be able to compete normally for his starting position in this Saturday’s qualifying at Albert Park, officially marking his return to the Formula 1 grid after more than a year out of racing.
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