The Cadillac driver hit the barriers at Turn 1 and was released from the Medical Centre after precautionary checks.
Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas hit the barriers on Lap 46 in Mexico City, after his front-left suspension appeared to fail at the end of the main straight. He was checked at the Medical Centre and released. Cadillac says it will fully investigate the cause of the failure.
Valtteri Bottas says he is okay after a big impact at Turn 1 of the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Cadillac driver left the track on Lap 46, while running 17th, and hit the barriers rearwards.
At the end of the main straight, the front-left suspension appeared to fail. Bottas became a passenger as the car slid into the run-off area at the first corner. He had started from the back of the field after taking grid penalties for new power unit components.
Bottas thanked the medical team and everyone who helped at the scene, and credited the FIA with its work over many years to make the sport safer. He was taken to the Medical Centre for precautionary checks and released.
What the team said
Team principal Marcin Budkowski said everyone was relieved that Bottas was okay. He said Cadillac would fully investigate the cause of the failure and work to make sure such accidents do not happen again.
Budkowski also said the team had come up short on operational execution on the day, and had a lot to analyse before the next race in Brazil. The crash is not the first suspension problem for Cadillac this year, as Sergio Perez had a similar failure at the front-right corner of his car in Canada.
What we know so far
- The crash happened on Lap 46, when Bottas was 17th after starting from the back of the field.
- Bottas was checked at the Medical Centre and released, with no indication that he will be unfit for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
- Bottas later congratulated Kimi Antonelli on social media, saying the two remain friends after working together at Mercedes.
The cause of the failure is still being investigated, so the story is developing.
