Bottas retires before Brazil GP start after wheel nut problem

Valtteri Bottas did not start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos after a cross-threaded wheel nut on his Cadillac prevented a tyre change on the way to the grid. The car was taken off the grid and returned to the garage, where the team reportedly spent six hours removing the wheel.

Bottas said the team was unable to start the race and that they would learn from the issue. Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski described it as a frustrating end to a triple-header and said the team would investigate to avoid a repeat.

The report noted that Bottas had a similar problem at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, when a damaged wheel nut forced his Mercedes to retire. Bottas is currently fighting to keep his seat at Cadillac, which is reportedly weighing up replacing him with Colton Herta.