If Valtteri Bottas successfully negotiates a return to the F1 grid for the 2026 season then he will start that campaign’s first race with a five-place grid penalty.
The Finnish driver was slapped with a five-place grid drop and three penalty points after colliding with Kevin Magnussen. The contact brought Bottas’ race to a premature end, but fortunately, the Haas racer, also in his last F1 race, was able to continue.
Bottas’ final race with the Sauber team promised his best chance of scoring points this season after an immense qualifying showing handed him a P9 grid slot. However, things quickly unravelled on Sunday.
The 10-time Grand Prix winner made contact with Sergio Perez on lap one, sending the Red Bull driver into a spin. He lost the clutch in the aftermath of the contact, bringing an end to his race.
Bottas was slapped with a 10-second time penalty for that contact and two penalty points for good measure, but his biggest mishap came on lap 32.
Magnussen was setting up a move around the outside of Turn Six and would have easily held the position, but Bottas suffered a heavy lock-up, sending his Sauber machine careening into the rear of the Haas man. The Dane limped on, but there was no such luck for the Finn, whose wheel rim was shattered by the contact.
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