Bottas unhurt after suspension failure sends Cadillac into barrier and stops Mexico race

A failure with no warning

The Mexico City Grand Prix had already seen a first-lap Ferrari fight and a penalty before it was stopped altogether. On lap 45 of 71, the left front suspension on Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac failed as he approached Turn 1, according to Crash.net and The Race. The car spun backwards into the barriers at high speed.

The damage to the wall was enough to bring out the red flag, so that the barriers could be repaired before the race continued.

Checks in the cockpit

Bottas stayed in the car for a time while the medical team spoke to him, then climbed out and walked away without help. He was taken to the medical centre as a precaution. Cadillac first said the 37-year-old was responsive on the radio and going for further assessments, then reported shortly afterwards that he had been released and was okay. Crash.net understands he suffered only a bruised knee.

Asked over the radio whether he was all right, Bottas replied with an angry expletive, the outlets reported. He was excused from all post-race media duties. Cadillac said it would investigate the incident fully, so the cause of the failure is not yet known.

Why it matters for Cadillac

The crash came in a weekend in which Bottas's future had already been a topic. Cadillac said before the race that it was in no rush to settle its 2027 line-up, and Crash.net notes that Colton Herta has been mentioned among possible candidates. Team-mate Sergio Perez finished 16th.

By the numbers

Bottas was one of five retirements in Mexico City, according to the race data on this site, with 17 drivers classified at the finish. The red flag also reshaped the race behind the leaders: Kimi Antonelli, who took the title with third place, gained that position on the restart.

The next round is the São Paulo Grand Prix on 8 November.