Mexico City GP grid penalties: Bottas to start last, Bortoleto drops five places

Several drivers already know they will start the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix lower than where they qualify. Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas has a 50-place grid penalty for new power unit parts, which puts him at the back of the 22-car field. Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto has a five-place drop, and Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson lose one place each after colliding in practice on Friday 30 October.

Bottas: a fresh power unit and the back of the grid

RacingNews365 reported that Cadillac fitted Bottas with a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-K, energy store and control electronics for the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. That goes well past his season allocation, so he gets the 50-place penalty and will start from the back.

Bottas sat out FP1, with IndyCar driver Colton Herta in his car, and was 21st in FP2. Cadillac said he had concerns over set-up and over brake and engine reliability.

Bortoleto: sixth control electronics unit

Bortoleto's five-place penalty comes from a new control electronics unit, his sixth of the season, when the limit is three. The penalty will be applied after Saturday's qualifying. It capped a hard Friday for the Brazilian. He handed his car to Audi junior Freddie Slater for FP1, then spent most of FP2 in the garage while mechanics fixed a problem, completing only a few laps and finishing last, more than four seconds off the pace.

Verstappen and Lawson: one place each

The stewards gave Verstappen and Lawson one-place grid drops and one penalty point each for their contact in the stadium section during FP2, which caused a red flag. Both had been warned at the team managers' meeting that day about overtaking in the final sector during practice.

Others to watch: Hamilton and Bearman

The cause of Lewis Hamilton's power loss in FP2, which left his Ferrari stopped on track and brought out a virtual safety car, has not been confirmed. Ferrari has not said whether it needs to replace parts. In September, GPblog reported that Ferrari was considering a planned power unit change for Hamilton later in the season, with Mexico or Interlagos the likeliest venues, but nothing had been announced by Friday night.

Haas fitted Oliver Bearman with a replacement engine after his car smoked at the end of FP1. No grid penalty for Bearman had been reported by the end of Friday. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said the team had to go back to an older engine specification after losing its latest one.

How it affects the weekend

Penalties are applied after qualifying, so the final grid will only be confirmed once the stewards publish the starting order. Qualifying starts at 05:00 Malaysia time (MYT) on Sunday 1 November, and the race at 04:00 MYT on Monday 2 November.

Key takeaways

• Bottas has a 50-place penalty for a full set of new power unit parts and will start last.
• Bortoleto drops five places for his sixth control electronics unit, three over the limit.
• Verstappen and Lawson each drop one place after their FP2 collision.
• Ferrari has not explained Hamilton's FP2 power loss, and no penalty has been announced.
• The final grid is confirmed after qualifying, which starts at 05:00 MYT on Sunday.

FAQ

Q: Why is Valtteri Bottas starting last in Mexico? A: Cadillac fitted new power unit parts beyond his season allocation, which brings a 50-place grid penalty and sends him to the back.

Q: Why did Gabriel Bortoleto get a grid penalty? A: Audi fitted his sixth control electronics unit of the season, three more than the limit, which carries a five-place grid drop.

Q: Does Lewis Hamilton have a grid penalty in Mexico? A: None had been announced by Friday night. Ferrari had not yet confirmed the cause of his FP2 power loss.

Sources: RacingNews365, Formula1.com, Sky Sports, GPblog, The Race