Valtteri Bottas no longer has to serve a five-place grid penalty at this weekend\u2019s Australian Grand Prix thanks to a recent change to the Formula 1 sporting regulations.<\/p>\n
The Cadillac driver was destined to serve the penalty issued at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – referencing this fact as recently as during pre-season testing in Bahrain. <\/p>\n
Originally, this was going to carry over to his next start even after he spent last year on the sidelines, because while the regulations were modified last year to stipulate that grid penalties be served “at the driver\u2019s next Sprint or Race in which the driver participates in the subsequent twelve (12) month period”, that did not apply retroactively<\/a> and was not in place when he was given the penalty.<\/p>\n However, among the latest sporting regulations are changes to article B2.5.4 that does make this change retrospective. Section b(i) of that regulation stipulates that for cases of 15 or less cumulative \u201cunserved grid penalties for the Race imposed in the previous twelve (12) months\u201d are taken into account when forming the grid. This change means that penalties imposed outside of that do not apply, so Bottas\u2019s grid drop from December 2024 will not be served.<\/p>\n