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Kimi Antonelli remains confident he can deliver a strong result at the Italian Grand Prix despite being set to start from the back of the grid at his home race.
The Mercedes driver will receive the penalty after qualifying at Monza, following the introduction of a complete new power unit of the same specification into his pool of components. The decision means Antonelli could still take pole position on Saturday, but he would not start there on Sunday.
The penalty is a significant setback in front of his home crowd, yet Antonelli supports Mercedes’ decision. He currently leads the drivers’ standings by 59 points from team-mate George Russell, while Lewis Hamilton is tied with Russell for second.
“Obviously, going into Monza [with the] engine penalty, I still think it’s the best track where to take it to,” Antonelli told media, including RacingNews365.
“Of course, it’s my home race and all that kind of stuff, but I think it’s the best race to do so. So, I think it still will give me a chance to get a great result and bring home good points.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had already indicated that the team’s computer simulations identified Monza as the most suitable venue for the required penalty. The calculation was made with the championship fight in mind rather than the emotional significance of Antonelli’s home event.
“Our theory, our calculations say that it’s the best track to take it,” Wolff said. “Obviously, algorithms don’t consider nationality when we have to fight for a championship and want to get the most PR, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Antonelli has already used the maximum permitted allocation of four internal combustion engines and four exhausts. He has also used three energy stores and three sets of control electronics, meaning he has reached the limit for those components.
He remains within tolerance for the turbocharger and MGU-K, with one allowance still available for each. However, Mercedes has opted to introduce the fully new unit as the title run-in begins.
The resulting grid drop removes the immediate reward of a potential qualifying success, but Antonelli’s focus is clear: use the race to recover positions and secure valuable points. His optimism reflects Mercedes’ belief that Monza offers the strongest opportunity to absorb the penalty without compromising the broader championship campaign. For further Mercedes context, see Antonelli admits Mercedes is no longer fastest as McLaren takes control.
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