FIA summons Bottas over suspected yellow-flag overtake in Baku FP1

Valtteri Bottas has been summoned to the FIA stewards after allegedly overtaking under yellow flags during FP1 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Cadillac driver ended the session 22nd, with his best lap nearly two seconds slower than Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin ahead.

Why it matters:

The investigation adds another headache for Cadillac, the only team yet to score a point in the 2026 season. Bottas has been the squad’s most reliable reference, with a best finish of 13th in China, and any penalty would further complicate a campaign already disrupted by poor reliability and a mid-season leadership change.

The details:

• Bottas and a Cadillac representative are required to report to the stewards at 13:50 local time in Baku.
• The alleged offence occurred during a chaotic session in which several drivers reported their cars pulling under braking.
• Carlos Sainz’s brakes caught fire in the pit lane, while Isack Hadjar was sidelined after reporting a “broken engine.”
• Championship leader Kimi Antonelli stopped with a hydraulics issue, and both McLarens spent long stretches in the garage after the upgraded MCL40s sustained damage.
• Cadillac parted ways with team principal Graeme Lowdon during the summer break, replacing him with former Renault/Alpine executive Marcin Budkowski.

What's next:

The stewards will hear Bottas’s case before qualifying. If a yellow-flag breach is confirmed, a grid penalty would be another setback for a team still looking for its first point of the season.