Loading
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard believes Mercedes should consider changing George Russell’s power unit at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, rather than waiting for a grid penalty to become unavoidable later in the season.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has already confirmed that championship leader Kimi Antonelli will take a penalty at Monza after Mercedes fits a full engine change to his W17. The team will use components outside Antonelli’s legal pool, sending the Italian to the back of the grid.
Russell is approaching a similar situation. The British driver is on his final legal exhaust, internal combustion engine, turbocharger, energy store and power control electronics unit. Unless he completes the remaining races without requiring another component, a grid drop is effectively inevitable.
Monza offers Mercedes a potentially favourable opportunity to absorb that penalty. The circuit’s overtaking opportunities make it possible to recover positions, while the team’s power unit is expected to remain a significant asset. Antonelli is therefore expected to make strong progress even from the back of the field.
That advantage, however, is under increasing pressure. Mercedes’ customer teams, particularly McLaren, are closing the gap, adding another layer to the decision over Russell’s engine allocation. With Madrid and Baku both due to follow as street venues, postponing the penalty could create a more difficult strategic problem.
The wider Monza picture is covered in our Italian Grand Prix preview, but for Mercedes the central question is whether to act now or preserve Russell’s current components for as long as possible.
Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Coulthard argued that Mercedes should take the opportunity when it appears.
“Yeah, I think you’ve just got to cut a stick when you see it. I don’t know where that expression comes from, but you have to take a penalty. Monza, as we’ve said, offers more potential.”
Coulthard also pointed to Mercedes’ understanding of power unit deployment, which he said had helped the team hold an advantage over customer outfits such as McLaren, Williams and Alpine earlier in the year. He believes McLaren has made some of its biggest gains by improving its own understanding of how to use the power unit.
“We will find out very soon who comes out victorious from that particular race,” Coulthard added.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.