Antonelli embraces "full attack" mindset after Monza engine penalty

Antonelli ready to attack from the back at Monza

Kimi Antonelli says he has “nothing to lose” at the Italian Grand Prix after Mercedes elected to fit his fifth power unit of the 2026 campaign, triggering an automatic back-of-the-grid start.

The decision follows a series of reliability issues earlier in the year. Although the penalty is a significant setback at his home race, Antonelli believes it also removes some of the pressure as he attempts to recover through the field. Mercedes’ choice to take the penalty at Monza was previously outlined in this analysis of Antonelli’s engine decision.

“Given that I’m starting last, it’s going to be full attack,” Antonelli said. “Obviously, I’ll still use my head. It’s not like I’m going to arrive at the first braking zone on Sunday and brake as if it were qualifying, otherwise I’d cause a crash!”

The 19-year-old has endured difficult memories at Monza as an F1 driver. He crashed during his practice debut in 2024 and then experienced a below-par weekend during his inconsistent rookie campaign last year. However, he returns for his second Italian Grand Prix as the championship leader, giving the weekend a very different context.

Mercedes targets points, not a perfect weekend

Antonelli said the objective is to recover as many points as possible while remaining disciplined in the opening phase of the race. He also argued that changing the components now could reduce the risk of further problems later in the season.

“It’s not ideal to take a penalty at your home grand prix, especially one this big,” he said. “But ultimately, as a team, we’re looking at the championship, and this is definitely one of the best tracks to do it. So it’s better to change everything now and hopefully avoid any problems in the future.”

With no meaningful grid position to protect on Saturday, Antonelli expects Mercedes to focus exclusively on race preparation. That approach could support an ambitious recovery, with the Italian suggesting a top-five finish is within reach depending on how the race develops.

Possible qualifying support for Russell

Antonelli may also be asked to assist team-mate George Russell in qualifying, where a slipstream could prove especially valuable. He said the possibility would be discussed internally, although no decision had been made.

“It could happen,” Antonelli acknowledged. “I’ll talk about it with the team and then we’ll see how things go.”