The Finn, who is back on the grid with Cadillac for the 2026 season opener in Melbourne, had been expected to carry a five-place grid drop dating back to his final race with Sauber at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
That penalty stemmed from an incident in the race where Bottas collided with Kevin Magnussen after locking up, spinning the Haas driver.
Initially handed a 10-second time penalty, the sanction was converted into a five-place grid drop after Bottas retired before he could serve it.
Because it remained outstanding, the penalty was set to be applied at the next race he started, which would have been this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix following his year away from the grid.
However, a revision to the Formula 1 sporting regulations means older penalties now expire after 12 months if they remain unserved.
As Bottas’ penalty was issued more than a year ago, it is no longer valid.
The Cadillac driver confirmed the news in the Albert Park paddock on Thursday after revealing the update on social media shortly beforehand.
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“You don’t follow me on Instagram?” he joked when asked about the penalty.
“I just did an announcement 20 minutes ago. Apparently it’s vanished thanks to some new regulation.
“So no grid penalty. It is good.”
The change relates to Article B2.5.4 of the sporting regulations, which now stipulates that any unserved grid penalties of 15 places or fewer are only applied if they were issued within the previous 12 months.
With Bottas’ sanction dating back to December 2024, the rule change means it no longer carries over to his return race.
The decision clears the way for the 36-year-old to begin his comeback season without a handicap as Cadillac makes its Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
