Why will Valtteri Bottas be hit with a penalty if he rejoins the F1 grid?

Valtteri Bottas faces a peculiar situation were he to return to the F1 grid, as a penalty from his 2024 season will carry over into his next race behind the wheel. Currently serving as Mercedes' reserve driver, he may fill in as a substitute this year or make a comeback in a new seat in 2026.

In the 2024 season finale at Abu Dhabi, Bottas qualified an impressive ninth on the grid but experienced a terrible getaway in the opening lap and tagged Red Bull's Sergio Perez, sending him for a spin. Consequently, he received a 10-second time penalty right at the start of the race.

Adding to his troubles, the Finn misjudged his braking and collided with Kevin Magnussen, causing enough damage for both cars to retire. Stewards noted the incident and deemed him responsible for the collision, handing him a five-place grid penalty and three penalty points to his super license.

While penalty points remain on a driver's super license for a period of 12 months, grid penalties are served in a driver's next race. This means a comeback from Valtteri Bottas would warrant an immediate five-place grid drop, irrespective of how much time has passed since his last race.

---

Valtteri Bottas reflects on future plans in the sport

Following a poor showing in his final F1 race at Abu Dhabi, Valtteri Bottas revealed his intentions for a future drive, hinting at a possible return. After eleven seasons in the sport, he left the grid to make way for F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, who took up his seat at Sauber.

Bottas joined Alpha Romeo in 2022 with a multi-year contract after five seasons with Mercedes. In a promising start with the team, he scored 49 points with nine top-10 finishes and a single top-five finish. This ensured a 10th-place rank in the standings.

However, the final season with Sauber (previously Alpha Romeo) proved to be much more challenging, as the 35-year-old finished 22nd, with no points to his name. Following Audi's announcement of its 2026 takeover of Sauber, he was dismissed as part of the team's rebuilding efforts.

Talking to the media after his final F1 race, Valtteri Bottas said:

"This is not the way I want to finish, which is why I’m not done yet.”

As a Mercedes reserve driver, Bottas has made appearances in the first two races of the 2025 season. Additionally, he took part in a testing session for Mclaren in Barcelona, preparing for potential driver duties with the Mercedes customer team.