One of the twenty drivers in the F1 2024 field received a grid penalty for this Las Vegas Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the calendar.
Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas will face a five-place grid penalty for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The sanction results from the use of a fourth energy storage unit, thus exceeding the permitted limit of two per season, as stipulated in the FIA sporting regulations.
While Sauber has still not scored a single point this season, this penalty further complicates the Swiss team's ambitions for Saturday evening's race (Sunday morning in Europe), which will consist of 50 laps. Bottas, in search of a top 10, will have to redouble his efforts to get back into the peloton.
The decision comes as Sauber recently announced that Bottas and teammate Guanyu Zhou will leave the team following the final triple header of the season. They will be replaced in 2025 by Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, as part of a strategic renewal for the team.
FIA confirms penalty
In an official document published by the FIA, the body specified: “The energy storage unit used by Valtteri Bottas is the fourth (4th) of two (2) new units authorized for the 2024 season. This does not comply with article 28.2 of the Formula 1 sporting regulations.”
Bottas' penalty adds to another series of technical adjustments noted during this weekend in Las Vegas. Sergio Perez, Alex Albon, along with Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, introduced new exhaust systems. However, these changes still respect the maximum quota of eight per season.
Hope thanks to new developments
To try to compensate for this penalty, Sauber has introduced a new development package for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. These improvements aim to resolve the rhythm problems that have plagued the team since the start of the year.
Despite everything, the challenge remains significant for Bottas, who will have to make the most of these new features to hope to make his way through the peloton. With an already extremely competitive grid and a penalty to overcome, the goal of the first points still seems out of reach, but surprise is never ruled out in F1.
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