Valtteri Bottas suffered an extraordinary case of Formula 1 déjà vu at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix when a seized wheel nut on his Cadillac prevented him from starting the race, with mechanics requiring approximately six hours to remove the wheel. The bizarre incident immediately brought back memories of the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, when Mercedes needed more than 43 hours to remove a wheel from the Finn’s car following a disastrous pit stop.
Five years, three teams and a major regulatory overhaul later, Valtteri Bottas discovered that some Formula 1 nightmares can return even when almost everything else has changed. This time, the problem occurred before the race had even begun at Interlagos, leaving Cadillac with one car unable to take the start and another affected by pit stop difficulties.
Valtteri Bottas misses Brazilian GP after Cadillac wheel nut becomes stuck
The problem emerged before the lap to the starting grid, when Cadillac’s mechanics attempted to change the right-rear tyre on Valtteri Bottas’s car. However, they were unable to loosen the retaining wheel nut, despite repeated attempts to free the wheel.
With the team unable to resolve the issue in time, Valtteri Bottas was forced to withdraw before the Brazilian Grand Prix had started. The mechanics eventually managed to remove the wheel after approximately six hours of work, turning what should have been a routine operation into an extraordinary technical setback.
“It’s sad that I couldn’t take part in the race. Before the lap to the grid, we tried to change the tyre, but we couldn’t remove the right-rear wheel nut. We still don’t know what caused the problem, but we’ll try to learn from what happened,” Valtteri Bottas explained.
Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski subsequently identified the cause as a wheel nut that had been incorrectly engaged with the thread, leaving it stuck and impossible to remove through the normal procedure.
“It’s a frustrating conclusion to this run of three consecutive races. I want to thank Valtteri and all the mechanics for their efforts. We’ll investigate to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Marcin Budkowski said.
Valtteri Bottas relives infamous 43-hour Mercedes pit stop nightmare from Monaco 2021
The incident bears a remarkable resemblance to Valtteri Bottas’s experience at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, although the technical circumstances were different. On that occasion, the Finnish driver was running second when he entered the pits, only for Mercedes to discover that the right-front wheel could not be removed.
The problem was caused by the pneumatic wheel gun being applied at a slight angle, progressively damaging the gripping surfaces of the wheel nut. As a result, the mechanics were unable to unscrew it, forcing Valtteri Bottas to retire from a race in which he had been fighting for a podium finish.
The wheel remained attached to the Mercedes long after the race had ended. It was finally removed the following Tuesday at the team’s factory in Brackley, bringing an end to a pit stop that had lasted more than 43 hours.
While the Monaco failure involved damage to the wheel nut caused by the wheel gun, the latest incident with Cadillac resulted from a nut incorrectly engaged on its thread. Nevertheless, the outcome was similarly costly: Valtteri Bottas was unable to complete the Grand Prix, although in Brazil he never even reached the starting grid.
Sergio Perez also suffers Cadillac pit stop problems at Interlagos
Cadillac’s difficulties were not limited to Valtteri Bottas’s side of the garage. Teammate Sergio Perez also experienced a problematic pit stop during the Brazilian Grand Prix, although the Mexican driver was at least able to complete the race.
Despite the particularly slow stop, Sergio Perez managed to battle with several rivals before finishing 18th in the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix.
“I think it’s the same problem we had in Mexico. We need to fix our equipment and make sure everything works properly,” Sergio Perez explained.
The comments underline Cadillac’s need to address its pit stop equipment and procedures following another difficult weekend. While Valtteri Bottas’s race was lost before it began, Sergio Perez’s experience suggested that the team still had work to do to ensure reliable operations during the closing stages of the season.
With the Brazilian Grand Prix bringing an end to a demanding triple-header, Cadillac now faces the task of understanding both incidents and preventing similar problems in the remaining rounds of the championship. For Valtteri Bottas, however, Interlagos will be remembered as another extraordinary chapter in a Formula 1 career that has already featured one of the sport’s most infamous stuck-wheel incidents.
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