Kimi Antonelli set for F1 grid penalty at Italian Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli will take a grid penalty at his home F1 race at Monza.
Formula 1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set to take a grid penalty at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed.
Antonelli will move onto a new power unit at his home F1 race at Monza. As a result of exceeding his limit of engine parts for the 2026 season, the Italian will be hit with a grid penalty.
The situation became unavoidable for Mercedes after Antonelli suffered two separate failures this season, including a problem that forced him to retire in Barcelona.
Mercedes’ decision may come as a surprise given it will hurt Antonelli’s chances of winning his home race, but Monza has been selected due to overtaking being easier than other circuits.
Theoretically, the impact of the setback for Antonelli will be minimised, though the news will come as a disappointment for fans hoping to see an Italian win their home grand prix.
The exact size of the grid penalty will be determined by how many engine components Mercedes opts to change, but an ICE switch triggers an automatic drop of 10 positions.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race, which was won by George Russell, Wolff said: "We need big points. Kimi is going to probably lose some in Monza starting in the back, so hopefully we can pocket some here.”
Antonelli finished fourth in Saturday’s 24-lap race at Zandvoort and saw his championship advantage over Russell shrink from 59 to 56 points.
Antonelli’s father, Marco, also indicated a grid penalty could be coming at Monza.
"Monza we will see. It will be difficult, for sure - for a lot of reasons,” Antonelli sr told Sky Sports F1.
Russell faces a similar situation to Antonelli is also expected to take a grid penalty later this season.
Mercedes is evaluating whether Russell’s damaged engine from the Hungarian Grand Prix can be repaired.
Russell was forced to change his power unit ahead of the last F1 race before the summer break after a crack on his engine caused a water leak on qualifying.
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