Press conference with Domenicali, Ben Sulayem, Management of AUDI AG Markus Duesmann and Oliver Hoffmann

F1 driver hit with brutal penalty months before new era even begins

December 19, 2025 Aksel Kryhlmand

A new era begins in Melbourne

The 2026 Formula 1 season is set to begin in March with the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit. The event will launch a new era for the sport, shaped by sweeping technical and sporting regulation changes.

Under the revised rules, Formula 1 cars are expected to become smaller and lighter, a shift aimed at improving overtaking and overall racing quality. The grid will also expand to 22 cars, with Cadillac entering Formula 1 as the championship’s 11th team.

For its debut campaign, Cadillac has opted for experience, confirming Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as its first driver pairing.

A past incident resurfaces

Although Bottas’ return to Formula 1 is still months away, the Finn already knows the season will not begin on equal terms. A penalty issued during his previous stint in the sport will carry over to the opening round of 2026.

The sanction dates back to the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when Bottas was racing for Kick Sauber. During the race, he was involved in a collision with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen. After reviewing the incident, stewards ruled Bottas was at fault and imposed a five place grid penalty.

At the time, the sporting regulations stated that grid penalties must be served at the next race in which the driver competes, regardless of how much time passes.

FIA confirms penalty will stand

As first reported by Sportsbible, the penalty will be applied at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, despite the significant gap between Bottas’ last race and his return to the grid.

An FIA spokesperson confirmed there is no provision under the old regulations to revise the decision, stating, “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 is intended to avoid similar anomalous situations in the future.”

A rule change that comes too late

The spokesperson was referring to an update to Formula 1’s sporting regulations that will come into effect from 2026. Under the new framework, grid penalties will no longer carry over indefinitely.

According to the FIA, sanctions will now expire if they are not served within a twelve month period, preventing penalties from following drivers across multiple seasons.

For Bottas, however, the timing offers no relief. The rule designed to prevent cases like his will arrive only after he has already been forced to pay the price.

Sources, Sportsbible, FIA