Antonelli to Take Monza Grid Penalty

Overview

• Kimi Antonelli confirmed he will take a power‑unit related grid penalty at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, sacrificing his home‑race starting position to protect his championship advantage.
• George Russell is reported to be taking the same penalty at Monza so both Mercedes drivers will absorb the drops on a track where passing is easier.
• Mercedes moved Antonelli onto his fourth and final power‑unit allocation after the team found an issue at Spa, and recent reliability problems have pushed both drivers toward exceeding FIA component limits.
• FIA rules limit the number of season power‑unit components and using extra parts triggers grid‑place penalties, so teams commonly defer unavoidable drops to circuits that offer the best chance to recover positions.
• The decision protects Antonelli's roughly 50‑point Drivers' lead and Mercedes' large Constructors' margin while costing him a likely weaker result in front of his home fans, and paddock reports say Mercedes may still bring a larger power‑unit upgrade at Monza as an unconfirmed possibility.