The grid penalty rule that threatens to scupper the Formula 1 return of Valtteri Bottas has been branded ‘ridiculous’ by former World Champion Damon Hill.
The Finn is making his full-time return to the sport with newbies Cadillac, after spending 2025 with old stable Mercedes, having lost his seat with Sauber at the end of 2024.
Bottas will be joined by fellow veteran and returnee Sergio Perez with the American squad, which will take its place on the gird as F1’s first 11th team in a decade.
But the 36-year-old’s comeback will be somewhat thwarted by a five-place grid penalty, accrued from his last Grand Prix.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
A collision with Kevin Magnussen in the Abu Dhabi GP saw Bottas handed the penalty, which will transfer over to his maiden Cadillac outing in Melbourne.
Changes to the rulebook mean that any penalty incurred will not need to be served if it has not been in a 12-month period, but as Bottas’ penalty was given by the stewards prior to the rule change, he will still have to serve it.
The ruling drew the ire of 1996 champion-turned pundit Hill, who referred to the ratification of the penalty on his Instagram story, adding his own words: “How ridiculous”.
Another former British World Champion is a victim of the same rule change, for an incident that took place almost nine years ago.
Jenson Button, taking part in the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix – in place of Fernando Alonso, who was racing in the Indy 500 – was handed a three-place grid penalty for an incident that punted Pascal Wehrlein’s Sauber in to the wall at Portier.
In the extremely unlikely event that the now-retired Button would ever been thrust into the position of racing in a Grand Prix again, he would have to serve that penalty.
READ MORE – Valtteri Bottas to drive Ferrari F1 car in special one-off appearance
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-360x180.webp)
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