Valtteri Bottas returns to the Formula 1 grid this week with the Australian Grand Prix, as Cadillac makes its debut in the sport.
The Australian Grand Prix holds a special place in Bottas’s heart, as the veteran driver acknowledged in the team’s media preview for the weekend. “This year’s Australian Grand Prix is like no other. I’ve always loved coming to Melbourne, but this time, coming to make history with the Cadillac Formula 1 team, it’s even more special,” Bottas said.
He has marked this Runs into the past in a fantastic way.from an incredible Uber Eats commercial, a baywatch parody and even a special theme that pays homage to the “sausage sizzle”:
But his return to the Australian Grand Prix this year comes at a price.
A penalty of five places on the grid.
This is due to an incident during Bottas’ last time on the grid, the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to close that season. Driving for Sauber, Bottas was involved in two separate incidents during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, both of which caught the attention of race stewards. The first collision occurred early in the race, when Bottas collided with Sergio Pérez (his new Cadillac teammate) at Turn 6.
Then, later in the race, Bottas was deemed to have caused another collision at Turn 6, this time with Kevin Magnussen.
While Bottas received a ten-second penalty and a couple of penalty points on his FIA Super License. for the first offenserace officials imposed a much harsher penalty for the second. Failing that Bottas “miscalculated his braking significantly,” he was given a drive-through penalty.
But since Bottas had already retired from the race when that decision was made, it became a five-place drop on the grid “for the next race in which the driver participates,” along with three penalty points on his FIA Super License.
Bottas spent the entire 2025 season as a reserve driver at Mercedes, meaning this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix will be the driver’s “…next race.”
Interestingly, the sport’s governing body is implementing a change to the Sports Regulations that will come into force this season to address this situation. Under the revised Section B1.10.4(g), any grid drop penalty imposed by race officials will be governed by this language: “A drop of any number of grid positions for the next Sprint or Race in which the driver participates in the subsequent twelve (12) month period.”
Unfortunately, Bottas will not benefit from this change this weekend.
