Valtteri Bottas hasn’t turned a lap in 2025, yet he’s already carrying a grid drop into his comeback — and it’ll follow him to Cadillac if that long-rumoured deal lands for 2026.
The five-place penalty dates back to the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where the then-Sauber driver clattered into Kevin Magnussen at Turn 6 after a sizeable braking misjudge. The stewards handed Bottas a five-place drop for his next F1 start plus three licence points, noting the grid hit was the equivalent of a drive-through since he retired from the race.
Because Bottas didn’t secure a 2025 race seat — he’s serving as Mercedes’ reserve behind George Russell and Kimi Antonelli — the sanction’s been sitting in the drawer. And with Cadillac’s entry preparing to join the grid next year, the timing suddenly matters.
There was brief hope among fans that a tweak to F1’s 2026 Sporting Regulations might bail him out. The new wording introduces a 12-month window for serving future grid penalties: if a driver doesn’t race within a year, the drop evaporates. Clean slate, in theory.
Not for Bottas. The FIA has clarified there’s no retroactive mechanism to erase penalties issued under the old rules. In other words, the Abu Dhabi sanction still bites the next time he races — regardless of how much calendar has passed since 2024.
So, if Bottas seals his expected Cadillac seat — the programme led by Graeme Lowdon and backed by General Motors — he’ll likely kick off 2026 with a five-place grid drop at his first outing, potentially Melbourne if that’s the opener. The unusual wrinkle: a brand-new team could wheel out a car for the first time already on the back foot.
Sergio Perez has also been linked to the Cadillac project, with paddock chatter pointing to an announcement around Monza. Bottas, meanwhile, is understood to be finalising terms, though nothing’s signed. If he’s drafted into a 2025 race as Mercedes’ stand-in before then, the penalty would be served this season and the 2026 debut becomes a cleaner affair.
No great conspiracy here — just the sport tidying up an awkward loophole a year too late for one of its most experienced hands. Bottas will take the hit when he returns. Then the fresh chapter begins.
