AUGUST 21, 2026

Antonelli confirms Monza engine penalty

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has confirmed he will take a new Mercedes engine at Monza, triggering a grid penalty at his home race.

The Italian has already exhausted his penalty-free allocation, so the exact drop will depend on how many power unit components Mercedes changes.

The penalty for the new engine will be handed out in Monza, Antonelli confirmed at Zandvoort.

We agreed on this because it's one of the tracks where overtaking is easier. I know it's my home race, but ultimately I'm thinking more about the championship.

I have to consider where I have the best chance of making up positions and getting a good result. Monza is definitely at the top of that list.

Antonelli leads Lewis Hamilton by 50 points and says the title fight now takes priority over avoiding a penalty in front of the Italian crowd.

The timing is also notable amid paddock rumours that Mercedes could introduce an ADUO power unit upgrade at Monza.

Antonelli says Mercedes has only a very small chassis update for Zandvoort, with a more substantial development package still to come.

We're not bringing a major update from Canada, while McLaren and Ferrari have developed a lot, he said.

Here in Holland, we're bringing a small update, but it's really a minimal thing that shouldn't give us a significant advantage.

The real package will arrive in a few races, and we hope to re-establish the advantage we had at the start of the year.

Despite the penalty, Antonelli says his longer-term commitment to Mercedes is clear.

Mercedes is a family to me, he insisted.

I see myself here for a long time, and it would be great to become a symbol of this team like Max is for Red Bull. I want to win with Mercedes.

(GMM)