The FIA has re-affirmed that Valtteri Bottas will have to serve the grid penalty that he got in 2024, should he secure the Cadillac seat to make F1 return in 2026.
On his current last appearance in F1 in Abu Dhabi, Bottas – driving for Sauber – was handed a post-race penalty for colliding with the then Haas driver Kevin Magnussen. The Finn was handed a larger five-place grid penalty, which couldn’t be served since he was out of racing seat in 2025.
As a reserve of Mercedes, Bottas hasn’t got the chance to replace either George Russell and or Andrea Kimi Antonelli, thus far. He does have 10 more chances and if not, the penalty will carry into 2026 F1 season. The latest reports suggest that the Finn is likely to sign with Cadillac for his return.
Had he got the penalty in 2026, Bottas would have escaped the grid drop under the new regulations where the validity of a penalty is 12 months. As per the current regulations under which he was handed the penalty in 2024, the Finn will have to serve the penalty and there is no way to go about it.
“Currently, the penalty will stand, as there is no mechanism to retroactively amend the penalty that was applied under the regulations in force at the time,” an FIA spokesperson confirmed to multiple websites like The Race, Planet Network, etc. “The change of regulation is intended to avoid similar anomalous situations in the future.”
It remains to be seen if Bottas gets a chance to drive in 2025 and or it will carry forward into 2026, where he may start a new journey with 11th F1 team on the grid. Apart from the Finn, the American outfit is reported to be closing in on signing other veteran Sergio Perez, in the second seat.
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