'Happy Days!' - Bottas freed from threat of 2024 F1 grid penalty
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 5, 2026 Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas arrives ahead of the Australian Grand Prix REUTERS/Hollie Adams
March 5 : Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas has escaped a five-place grid penalty for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after a change to Formula One's sporting regulations removed a drop he had yet to serve from 2024.
The Finn collected the penalty in his last race for Sauber at the end of 2024 for causing a collision with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen in what was to be the Dane's final race in Formula One.
Bottas, a 10-times race winner, then sat out the 2025 season as Mercedes reserve before securing a seat with newcomers Cadillac, the 11th team on the grid.
Under Formula One's previous regulations, Bottas would have had to serve the drop at the first opportunity but a change means penalties are now void if not served in a 12 month period between the offence and next race.
"You know my five-place grid penalty? It’s gone. With the new regulations, it’s vanished. Happy days!” Bottas said on Instagram.
Bottas and Mexican teammate Sergio Perez are still likely to start near the back of the grid on Cadillac's F1 debut on Sunday but Aston Martin's problems mean the U.S.-owned team may not be last in qualifying.
