Valtteri Bottas hit with grid penalty at F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas has taken a five place grid penalty at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Sauber is still seeking their first points of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

If veteran driver Valtteri Bottas is going to deliver those elusive first points at this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand, he faces an even steeper climb now thanks to a grid penalty.

The team announced on Thursday that they had installed a new energy store component on Bottas’ C44 ahead of this weekend’s race. This is the fourth energy store used on Bottas’ C44 this season, two more than the number allowed for over a single season.

As a result, Bottas faces a five-place grid drop under Article 28.3 of the FIA Sporting Regulations:

However, Sauber brought a host of upgrades to the circuit for this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, which could improve their chances of capturing their first points of the season. According to their “Car Presentation Submission” on Thursday, the team brought a revised floor to Las Vegas, including a new floor body, new floor fences, and a new floor edge.

Hopefully for Sauber, those upgrades can help Bottas make up those five places in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.