Valtteri Bottas still faces a five-place grid penalty on his expected Formula 1 return next year, despite a change in the regulations over the winter that now times out similar sanctions.
The Finn was awarded the punishment at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix following a collision with Kevin Magnussen.
The ruling laid down by the Stewards was for a "drop of five grid positions for the next race in which the driver participates".
LAP 31/58
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 8, 2024
Huge lock up for Bottas who then runs into the side of Magnussen and sends the Dane spinning 😵#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/1yBTluhQlK
Having lost his seat at Sauber for this season, and switching to a Mercedes reserve role, there has been no opportunity for Bottas to serve the penalty yet.
However, as he closes in on an F1 return with Cadillac for 2026, the issue of Bottas’s penalty has become relevant again – especially in relation to a recent rule change published by the FIA.
A revised regulation regarding the list of possible sanctions that can be given out by stewards was amended to put a time limit on when grid drops needed to be served by.
The new rule states said that grid drop sanctions would be served "at the driver’s next Sprint or Race in which the driver participates in the subsequent twelve (12) month period".
It had been suggested by some that this change effectively meant Bottas would now not have to serve his Abu Dhabi penalty.
However, this is incorrect because changes in rules do not mean that decisions taken under previous regulations are rescinded or amended.
The Race has learned that Bottas therefore still has to take the grid drop because the change of wording for 2026 only comes into force for any sanctions handed out in the future.
As the stewards’ penalty has already been imposed and published, it is understood there is no procedure within the rulebook for it to be rescinded.
An FIA spokesman told The Race: “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.
“The change of regulation [for 2026] is intended to avoid similar anomalous situations in future.”
Bottas is not the only driver who has an indefinite grid penalty hanging over them.
Jenson Button still has a three-place penalty on the books for causing a collision with Pascal Wehrlein at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, while Robert Shwartzman earned a five-place grid penalty at last year’s Mexican Grand Prix for ignoring yellow flags during a first practice run for Sauber.
