Formula 1: Valtteri Bottas already penalized for next race

The next Formula 1 race isn’t for another four weeks, but Valtteri Bottas has already been issued a penalty for it due to today’s crash.

The highest position in which Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas can possibly start the next race on the Formula 1 schedule is sixth.

At the start of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, Bottas lost a few positions due to being slow to get away from his second place grid spot.

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He was passed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on the outside and McLaren’s Lando Norris on the inside. But as turn one approached, he was way too late on the brakes and slammed into the side of Norris, who then slammed into the side of Verstappen.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was also collected in the mess. Along with Norris and Bottas, he was knocked out of the race.

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Verstappen was able to continue, but his damaged race car limited his rally to a 10th place result, depressingly behind both Williams drivers.

It did not take long after this incident for the stewards to announce that Bottas would be issued a five-position grid penalty for the next race on the schedule, the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, for causing the collision and taking out multiple drivers. This race isn’t scheduled to take place until Sunday, August 29, but Bottas enters his summer break knowing that even if he takes the pole position, he would only start on the third row in sixth place.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, who caused a separate incident in the same corner that took out both himself and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, was issued the same penalty, though he isn’t expected to be as much of a factor at the front as Bottas is in the Mercedes.

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The Belgian Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on ESPN beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 29.

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