Why F1 has cancelled the first grid penalty of 2026
Valtteri Bottas no longer has to serve a five-place grid penalty at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix thanks to a recent change to the Formula 1 sporting regulations.
The Cadillac driver was destined to serve the penalty issued at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - referencing this fact as recently as during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Originally, this was going to carry over to his next start even after he spent last year on the sidelines, because while the regulations were modified last year to stipulate that grid penalties be served "at the driver’s next Sprint or Race in which the driver participates in the subsequent twelve (12) month period", that did not apply retroactively and was not in place when he was given the penalty.
However, among the latest sporting regulations are changes to article B2.5.4 that does make this change retrospective. Section b(i) of that regulation stipulates that for cases of 15 or less cumulative “unserved grid penalties for the Race imposed in the previous twelve (12) months” are taken into account when forming the grid. This change means that penalties imposed outside of that do not apply, so Bottas’s grid drop from December 2024 will not be served.
Bottas originally confirmed this in a post on Instagram, then again in the Thursday driver press conference in Melbourne held shortly after that was published.
“You don't follow me on Instagram?” quipped Bottas when asked about the grid penalty in the press conference. “I just did an announcement 20 minutes ago. Apparently it's vanished thanks to some new regulation.
"So no grid penalty. It is good.”
Bottas was given the penalty on his final outing for the Sauber team in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
This was for causing a collision when he locked up and clattered into Kevin Magnussen, leading to the Haas driver spinning. Initially, this was a 10-second penalty - but as Bottas retired from the race before he could serve it, it was converted into a five-place grid penalty.
