Overview

• On July 30, the WMSC approved a 2026 change to Article B1.10.4 that limits grid penalties to races a driver contests within the subsequent 12 months.
• Media reports suggested Valtteri Bottas’s five-place drop from Abu Dhabi 2024 could expire by December 2025 if he does not race this year, potentially affecting a rumored 2026 Cadillac return.
• An FIA spokesperson told GPBlog the Bottas sanction currently remains in force because penalties applied under earlier rules cannot be retroactively modified.
• If Bottas were to race in 2025, he would have to serve the grid drop under the unchanged 2025 regulations.
• The 12‑month clause could also influence other outstanding grid penalties, such as Robert Schwarzman’s, though practical handling remains unclear without further guidance.