Valtteri Bottas said he may ask the FIA to change his five-place grid penalty issued in Abu Dhabi to a fine, in case he gets back on the F1 grid one day.

Bottas was handed five penalty points at Yas Marina for two separate incidents on Sunday, first tagging Sergio Perez early in the race before colliding with Kevin Magnussen, the latter seeing him retire from what could be his final start in the sport.

Valtteri Bottas looking to change grid penalty amid F1 return hopes

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

The now-former Sauber driver locked up heading into the Turn 6 hairpin and speared into the side of Magnussen’s Haas, spinning him around and causing enough damage to his own car to prompt his own retirement from the race.

This not only prompted three penalty points for the next year on his FIA Super Licence but a five-place grid penalty for his next Formula 1 start, whenever that may be.

There are examples of drivers being given grid penalties for races which they have never started, such as Jenson Button after a punishment handed out in his final race in Monaco 2017, but Bottas is determined to find a way back to the Formula 1 grid.

Because of that, he hopes to find a way that his grid penalty can somehow be changed to a fine that can be paid instead, so he is not disadvantaged in any way if he does make a comeback.

“I knew the moment that I touched the brakes and locked up, that’s it,” Bottas explained to media including PlanetF1.com in Abu Dhabi.

“So it’s a shame, but it’s not the first disappointment. Actually, it’s now a relief that this era, this section of my career is over, and now just really looking ahead and going to work hard and trying to make the best plan [of] how to be back on the grid.”

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When told of his penalty that he would carry into his next race, should he return to the grid, the Finn replied: “Oh, damn”, and would look to find a way around that so he could hit the ground running again.

“That’s not ideal,” he added.

“Well, maybe I can ask them if they can change it to a fine. I would pay the fine…”

A third driver role for the Finn looks likely as he steps away from the Formula 1 grid for the time being, but when asked if he hopes to keep up his race sharpness with in-season testing, he revealed that will be a part of what he wants to get out of next season.

“That’s what I hope, and that’s the target,” he said.

“I think there will be opportunities, but for that, I still need to keep driving, make sure I get some testing and be involved. So that’s the target.”

He has been heavily linked with a potential return to the Mercedes fold as a reserve to George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and while he hopes to have his next move sorted soon, nothing has yet been confirmed.

“Maybe next week – maybe. But first I need to sign something,” he stated.

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