One penalty was already issued in 2026. Here's why.

The 2026 Formula 1 season hasn't even started, yet one driver is already facing a grid drop.

As the grid (slowly) prepares for a new era of regulations through testing, Valtteri Bottas, returning to the sport with the newly formed Cadillac team, carries a ghost from the past: a 5-place grid penalty issued way back in December 2024.

The Incident: Abu Dhabi 2024

It all stems from the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Bottas's last race for Sauber (now Audi). On Lap 12, Bottas was involved in a collision with Kevin Magnussen at Turn 6. The stewards ruled that Bottas "misjudged his braking significantly," causing the contact that spun the Haas around.

Since Bottas retired from the race due to the damage sustained, he couldn't serve a time penalty during the Grand Prix. Consequently, the stewards converted it into a 5-place grid drop for the next race in which he participates.

You can watch the incident here: 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Bottas taps Magnussen into a spin

The Gap Year and the Return

Following that race, Bottas did not secure a seat for the 2025 season. He spent the year on the sidelines, meaning "the next race in which he participates" never arrived in 2025.

Now, with Cadillac entering the grid in 2026 and signing the Finnish veteran, that "next race" is finally on the horizon: the 2026 season opener. And so, the penalty waits.

The Rule Change That Came Too Late

Interestingly, the FIA recognized that indefinitely hanging penalties were problematic. On July 31, 2025, a tailored update was made to the FIA 2026 F1 Sporting Regulations.

The regulation, previously under Article B1.10.4(g) and now listed as Article B1.10.4(h) in the current version, was amended to introduce a time limit. It now states that a grid drop applies to:

"A drop of any number of grid positions for at the driver’s next Sprint or Race in which the driver participates in the subsequent twelve (12) month period"

This change was specifically designed to prevent situations exactly like Bottas's, where a penalty lingers for years.

Why Bottas Still Has to Serve It

If the rule now says "subsequent twelve month period," and it's been over a year since December 2024, shouldn't Bottas be in the clear?

No.

In F1 regulations, changes are rarely retroactive. The penalty was issued under the 2024 Sporting Regulations, which did not have the 12-month expiry clause. The decision made by the stewards in Abu Dhabi 2024 was final and based on the rules active at that moment.

The new 12-month limit only applies to penalties handed out after the regulation change came into effect. Therefore, Bottas falls into a unique regulatory crack: he is subject to an old penalty that wouldn't be possible under today's rules, but because it was valid when issued, it must be served.

So, when the lights go out for the first time in 2026 in Melbourne on March 8th, keep an eye on the #77 Cadillac. If it qualifies well, it will be starting five spots further back, paying an "old debt to society" from a different era of Formula 1.