Valtteri Bottas escapes five-place grid penalty on Cadillac debut in Melbourne

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 1.

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 1'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.

Speaking in the FIA-hosted drivers' press conference in Melbourne on Thursday Bottas was asked about how different the challenge of returning to the F1 grid with Cadillac was.

He explained: "I think it's quite unique to be in a situation that you're starting with a new team in the sport.

"It doesn't really happen every day, so yeah, very unique. It's been hard work, lots of problem solving, but we've already made great progress and really hats off to the whole team being here ready for race one, which I think already is incredible.

"So, looking forward to this journey. It's only the start of it now," the 36-year-old concluded.

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.