F1 have performed a U-turn on Valtteri Bottas' grid penalty for the Australian GP after a change to the sporting regulations ahead of the 2026 season.
After the shortest winter break in recent memory, F1 will return to Albert Park this weekend to kick start the biggest regulation change in the sport's history.
Drivers will have to adapt to brand new power-units and chassis that are 30kg lighter than 2025, and it's not just the cars that are changing this year.
The 2026 season also sees a return to 11 teams for the first time since the 2016 season, with Cadillac joining the grid through General Motors.
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The American team have opted for pure experience with their driver lineup, signing Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas who both return to F1 after a year out.
Bottas brings with him nearly 250 grand prix worth of experience, including 10 victories and 5 constructor championships with Mercedes, however, the Finn was expected to bring some extra baggage.
The 36-year-old was carrying a five-place-grid penalty from his final grand prix of 2024, but speaking to the media in Melbourne, Bottas confirmed the penalty has 'vanished'.
“You don't follow me on Instagram?” said Bottas during the press conference.
“I just did an announcement 20 minutes ago. Apparently it's vanished thanks to some new regulation, so no grid penalty. It is good.”
In 2025 the regulations changed so that grid penalties would be served 'at the driver’s next sprint or race in which the driver participates in the subsequent twelve month period', but with Bottas earning his penalty in 2025 it was expected to carry over.
However, a further alteration to article B2.5.4 of the regulations means Bottas will get away without the grid drop, with section b(i) stipulating that for cases of 15 or less cumulative “unserved grid penalties for the race imposed in the previous twelve months” are taken into account when forming the grid.
Bottas received his penalty after retiring from the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix without serving a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Hass' Kevin Magnussen.
With Cadillac expected to be battling at the back of the grid, a five-place penalty might not have altered his result too much, but the American's are going to need every slice of luck they can get in their debut season.
Topics: Formula 1
Tom Jenkins