Antonelli to start Monza home race from back of grid after Mercedes confirms engine penalty

Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start from the back of the grid at his home Italian Grand Prix in Monza after Mercedes confirmed a full power unit change that exceeds his seasonal allowance. The 19-year-old Italian had already reached the permitted limit of four power units, making a grid penalty inevitable.

Drivers are allowed to use up to four power units across a season, but Mercedes’ reliability difficulties in the first half of the campaign left both of its drivers with little margin. Antonelli had already exhausted his allocation for the V6 and exhaust system, while teammate George Russell has no remaining room on either his combustion engine or turbocharger.

Team principal Toto Wolff confirmed the decision and dismissed any suggestion that Monza’s significance as Antonelli’s home race had complicated the call. “With Kimi we are taking the full thing,” Wolff said. “In theory, our calculations say that that’s the best track to take it. Obviously, our algorithms don’t take nationality into consideration. But we are here to fight for a championship and not get the most PR. So, that’s what we are going to do.”

Russell is also facing a grid drop at some point, though Mercedes has yet to settle on the location. The Briton only took his fourth power unit at the Hungarian Grand Prix — the final race before the summer break — giving him greater flexibility on mileage. Wolff noted that “discussions are ongoing about where to take it” for Russell, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku cited as a potential candidate given its emphasis on power unit performance, top speed, and overtaking opportunities that could help offset a penalty.

For Antonelli, the timing at Monza is calculated rather than sentimental. The high-speed Lombardy circuit’s long straights and limited overtaking make it one of the more manageable venues at which to absorb a grid drop, even if starting at the back in front of a home crowd carries its own pressures for the championship leader.