Kimi Antonelli has confirmed that Monza is the leading candidate for Mercedes to fit his fifth power unit of the 2026 Formula 1 season, a move that would leave the championship leader facing a 10-place grid penalty at the Italian Grand Prix. Despite the significance of his home race, Antonelli is putting his F1 title bid first and believes Monza offers one of his best opportunities to recover lost positions.
Mercedes has yet to confirm the plan officially, but the decision now appears close to being made. Antonelli is highly likely to use the fifth power unit of his season during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, accepting the resulting grid drop. It would be a major strategic call given that Monza is the home race of the championship leader, but one made primarily with the wider Formula 1 title fight in mind.
Kimi Antonelli confirms Monza is under consideration for engine penalty
The possibility had already been raised by Toto Wolff, who identified Monza as one of the events where Mercedes could introduce the fifth unit on Antonelli’s car. “If that happens, it won’t be easy to tell Marco,” Wolff had joked, referring to Antonelli Sr.
Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Antonelli himself removed almost any remaining doubt over the plan. “Yes, it could be Monza,” Kimi Antonelli confirmed.
At first glance, the choice may seem surprising considering what the Italian weekend will represent for the Mercedes driver. For the first time, Kimi Antonelli will arrive at Monza as one of the central figures in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship, with enormous home support inevitably surrounding him. However, his position in the championship is precisely why Mercedes and Antonelli are approaching the decision pragmatically.
Antonelli puts F1 championship ahead of perfect Monza homecoming
Kimi Antonelli made clear that he is directly involved in deciding where to take the penalty. Monza is therefore not simply a Mercedes decision that the Italian will reluctantly accept. His own assessment of the circuit and the remaining calendar has played a part, following earlier discussion over when Mercedes should take Antonelli’s power-unit penalty.
“It’s also a decision that comes from me, because looking at the calendar, it’s one of the tracks where it’s easier to overtake. Yes, it’s my home race and there’s everything that comes with that, but in the end I’m thinking more about the championship.”
The objective is to minimise the sporting consequences of the grid penalty as much as possible. With its long straights and numerous overtaking opportunities, Monza has been identified as a circuit where Antonelli could have a strong chance of recovering the positions lost on the starting grid.
“I’m thinking about where I can give myself a better chance of recovering positions and still getting a good result. So Monza is definitely at the top of the list of tracks where we could take the penalty. Most likely I’ll take it and we’ll put the engine in there.”
Why Mercedes believes Antonelli can recover at Monza
The characteristics of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza are central to the strategy. Antonelli believes the 2026 cars could offer plenty of opportunities to make progress through the field, although he knows qualifying will remain crucial if Mercedes goes ahead with the penalty.
“It’s a track where I think, especially this year, with the battery and everything else, there can still be plenty of overtaking opportunities,” Kimi Antonelli added. “Obviously, if the pace is good, we’ll need to have a great qualifying session to start as far forward as possible despite the penalty. Then, if we have the pace, I think we can recover without problems.”
That confidence comes at a particularly important stage of the season for both Antonelli and Mercedes. Taking the penalty at a circuit where overtaking is more realistic could allow the championship leader to protect his title campaign while securing a fresh power unit for the races that follow.
Kimi Antonelli expects special atmosphere at Italian Grand Prix
The prospect of a grid penalty has done little to reduce Antonelli’s excitement about what will be one of the most important weekends of his season. Twelve months ago, he experienced Monza in a completely different situation. This time, he will arrive at the Autodromo as the Formula 1 World Championship leader, with inevitably greater expectations surrounding his performance.
“It will be nice. I think there will be a lot of support and I can’t wait. It will definitely be very different compared to last year, there will be a different atmosphere. I can’t wait.”
Kimi Antonelli has also prepared something special to celebrate his home weekend, revealing that his helmet design will change for the Italian Grand Prix. “I’ll have a special helmet, a very, very cool one.”
