Kimi Antonelli has revealed that Mercedes plans to introduce a new engine featuring its ADUO development later in the 2026 Formula 1 season, a move that will bring the championship leader another five-place grid penalty. The Italian is already set to start Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza from the back of the grid after Mercedes decided to fit a new Power Unit for his home race.
The decision means Monza will already present a major recovery challenge for Kimi Antonelli, but it will not be his final engine-related penalty of the season. Mercedes is preparing a further ICE specification using the development opportunity granted under the ADUO system, and Antonelli has now revealed that another grid drop will follow when it is introduced.
Kimi Antonelli accepts Monza penalty with championship in mind
Kimi Antonelli discussed the prospect of starting from the back at Monza during his usual pre-weekend media duties. While taking such a significant penalty at his home Grand Prix is far from ideal, the Mercedes driver stressed that the decision has been made with the wider championship picture in mind.
“Let’s say it’s not ideal to take the penalty at the race before your home crowd, especially such a significant penalty, but in the end, as a team, we look at the championship and this is certainly one of the best tracks to do it,” the championship leader said. “So it’s better to change everything now and then not have any problems.”
Monza’s high-speed layout makes it one of the circuits where Mercedes believes recovering positions should be more achievable than at many other venues. The decision therefore prioritises the wider title campaign even if it makes Kimi Antonelli’s home weekend considerably more difficult.
Kimi Antonelli reveals Mercedes ADUO engine plans
Kimi Antonelli then offered another important detail about Mercedes’ longer-term Power Unit programme, confirming that a further penalty is expected when the manufacturer introduces its ADUO development.
“We’ll take another five-place penalty to introduce a new engine, this time with ADUO,” Kimi Antonelli explained.
His comments therefore reveal that Mercedes is preparing another internal combustion engine specification with a performance increase. Under the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system, Mercedes has been granted scope to further develop its ICE after being measured behind the benchmark during the relevant assessment period.
The situation is particularly interesting because Red Bull currently holds the benchmark position in the FIA’s ADUO engine ranking. If Mercedes were to move ahead, that could potentially change Red Bull’s position and open up development opportunities that are currently unavailable while its engine remains the strongest on the grid under the FIA’s measurements.
Ferrari ADUO engine adds to Antonelli’s Monza challenge
Kimi Antonelli is also expecting a particularly difficult Italian Grand Prix weekend because Ferrari is set to make a performance step with its new ADUO engine. Monza’s emphasis on Power Unit performance makes that development especially significant for the battle at the front.
“I think Ferrari will also be very strong this weekend with the ADUO engine, so it will be tight,” Kimi Antonelli said. “For that reason, especially in these races where we aren’t bringing upgrades, it will be important to maximise the result, do the best we possibly can and then, when it’s our turn to bring upgrades, hopefully they will give us a bit more performance. The team has a lot of faith in the package it is preparing for Malaysia.”
Ferrari’s latest Power Unit development is expected to be particularly important at its home race, with the team preparing to introduce its ADUO development at Monza as it attempts to close the performance gap.
Mercedes puts faith in its Malaysia upgrade package
Mercedes, meanwhile, is not introducing a major chassis upgrade at Monza. Instead, Kimi Antonelli says the team is concentrating on maximising the package already available before its next significant development step arrives in Malaysia.
That fits with Mercedes’ broader approach to the second half of the season. The team has deliberately followed a different upgrade timetable from Ferrari and McLaren, with Toto Wolff previously acknowledging that Mercedes is currently behind its rivals in the W17 development cycle.
For Kimi Antonelli, the immediate challenge is therefore clear. He must first limit the damage from a back-of-the-grid start at his home Grand Prix, where Ferrari is expected to benefit from its own ADUO step. Later in the season, he will face another five-place penalty when Mercedes introduces its new ADUO engine, before the team hopes its Malaysia upgrade package can provide another significant performance gain.
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