P1racenews AI automatic summary:
What looked like good news for Valtteri Bottas and Cadillac has now turned into bad news – F1’s newest driver-team pairing will not catch a break.
The FIA confirmed to RacingNews365 that Valtteri Bottas will retain the five-place grid penalty he received at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for his collision with Kevin Magnussen.
Bottas was found at fault for the incident at Yas Marina Circuit and had to retire from the race, leading to the grid penalty instead of a time penalty.
Since the penalty was not served due to the race being his last before switching teams, it will carry over to his next Grand Prix.
Despite reports of Bottas joining Cadillac, the penalty remains in place, as the FIA clarified that it cannot be retroactively changed under the old regulations.
As per the recent rule amendment by the FIA, the penalty must be served within 12 months of issuance, meaning Bottas might start the 2026 season in Australia with the penalty over 15 months old.
