The situation comes despite a regulatory tweak by the FIA ahead of the 2026 season. Under the updated Sporting Regulations, penalties that are not served within 12 months will now be wiped from a driver’s record. However, Bottas’s sanction predates the rule change, meaning it cannot be applied retroactively.
An FIA spokesperson previously explained that there is no mechanism to erase Bottas’s penalty under the old rules, adding that the change was introduced specifically to prevent similar cases in the future.
Bottas, who spent 2025 as a reserve driver at Mercedes, returns to the grid alongside Sergio Perez, with the Mexican having already completed Cadillac’s first on-track running during a shakedown at Silverstone.
The Finn’s enforced grid drop will be particularly frustrating given his strong history in Melbourne. Bottas famously won the Australian Grand Prix in 2019, dominating the race at Albert Park Circuit.