Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas heads into the facing a major setback after the team introduced multiple new power unit elements on his -powered car. The changes triggered a significant grid penalty that will force him to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
fitted five fresh components to Valtteri Bottas’ car ahead of the weekend. These include a new internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger (TC), energy store (ES), control electronics unit (PU-CE) and motor generator unit–kinetic (MGU-K). All five represent the first time Bottas has exceeded his seasonal allocation for those specific parts in 2026. The only elements left unchanged were the exhaust system and auxiliary components.
The moves followed reliability issues earlier in the season, including a retirement in Austin linked to a suspected power unit problem. With the championship in its final stretch, the team prioritised reliability and race setup over pure qualifying pace on Bottas’ side of the garage.
regulations limit the number of each power unit element a driver can use across the season. Exceeding the limit for the first time on any component brings a 10-place grid penalty. A second exceedance of the same type adds a further five places, and so on. When several components are changed at the same event, the penalties stack up.
If the total exceeds 15 places, the rules convert the sanction into a mandatory start from the back of the grid, regardless of how many places are listed on paper. Valtteri Bottas’ five first-time breaches therefore produced an official 50-place drop.
With only 22 cars entered, a 50-place penalty cannot be applied literally. Under the regulations, any accumulated drop larger than 15 places simply places the driver at the rear. An FIA document confirmed the outcome in clear terms: “Subject to Car 77 being classified in the results of Qualifying, Car 77 will be allocated a grid position in the race in accordance with Article B2.5.4b.iv of the FIA F1 Regulations.”
The stewards ordered a “Drop of 50 grid positions for the next Race in which the driver participates.” The sanction does not require a pit-lane start. Valtteri Bottas simply lines up at the back once the final grid is assembled after qualifying, provided his car is classified.
Valtteri Bottas missed Thursday media duties because of illness. Teammate Sergio Perez, the local favourite, also felt unwell and arrived late to the track on Friday. Both drivers completed their planned practice sessions. American Colton Herta drove Bottas’ Cadillac only in Free Practice 1 to fulfil the young driver requirement.
Sergio Perez has already secured his future with Cadillac until 2029. Bottas’ seat for 2027 remains unconfirmed, making a clean weekend important for the Finn as he looks to strengthen his case.
claimed pole position for Ferrari. Cadillac ended the session at the bottom of the order. Sergio Perez qualified 21st with a 1:19.105 lap, while Valtteri Bottas finished 22nd on 1:19.852. With the 50-place penalty already confirmed, Bottas focused on supporting his teammate. He provided tows on the final runs to help Perez get closer to the cars ahead, though the home driver could not improve his position.
