Mercedes will start championship leader Kimi Antonelli from the back of the grid at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix after the team gives the Italian a new power unit, exceeding his allowed limit for the season.
Strategic grid penalties and team reliability
Formula 1 regulations permit a driver to use up to four power units per season, but Mercedes’ early‑season component failures forced the team to balance usage against performance. Antonelli has already reached the end of his component package with his current V6 and exhaust system, while George Russell has no remaining slots for either a combustion engine or turbocharger, leaving both drivers on the brink of grid penalties.
Antonelli’s home race in Monza was initially expected to trigger a drop, but the team confirmed it would switch the 19‑year‑old’s power unit at the Italian event, ensuring a full‑unit change and a start at the very rear of the field. Team Principal Toto Wolff stated that the decision was purely performance‑driven: “With Kimi we are taking the full thing; the algorithms do not factor in nationality. Our focus is championship success, not publicity.”
Potential future penalties for George Russell
Russell, who took his fourth power unit at the last race before the summer hiatus, still retains some mileage flexibility. Mercedes may add a fifth component later, but discussions about the timing are ongoing. Wolff hinted that a subsequent change could come at the Baku Grand Prix, a circuit that rewards power‑unit performance and top speed while offering overtaking opportunities that could mitigate a grid drop.
"