Kimi Antonelli Embraces Risk-Free Approach for Monza Comeback Following Engine Penalty

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli says he has “nothing to lose” heading into the Italian Grand Prix, adopting a bold approach as he seeks to recover from a significant grid penalty for switching to a new power unit.

After facing multiple reliability problems earlier in the season, Antonelli will use his fifth Mercedes power unit of the year, an automatic penalty that forces him to start from the back of the grid.

The Italian teenager arrives at Monza carrying mixed memories. He crashed on his practice outing in 2024 and endured a difficult weekend last season during his first full campaign. Now leading the championship standings as he tackles his second home race, the grid drop has eased some of the pressure, allowing him to focus on a determined charge through the field.

“Given that I’m starting last, it’s going to be full attack,” Antonelli said. “Obviously, I’ll still use my head. It’s not like I’m going to arrive at the first braking zone on Sunday and brake as if it were qualifying, otherwise I’d cause a crash!

“I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’ve got nothing to lose. The goal is to recover as many points as possible while using my head, but the mindset will be to attack as much as possible and try to gain as many positions as I can.

He added: “It’s not ideal to take a penalty at your home grand prix, especially one this big. But ultimately, as a team, we’re looking at the championship, and this is definitely one of the best tracks to do it. So it’s better to change everything now and hopefully avoid any problems in the future. I think that will allow me to enjoy it even more, to drive with less pressure, and I think that’s a positive thing.”

Antonelli will take his fifth Mercedes power unit of the 2026 campaign, which leads to an automatic back-of-the-grid penalty

Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Antonelli enjoys one notable strategic advantage: the freedom to focus exclusively on race trim, a luxury he believes could enable a charge toward a top-five finish. “We’ll work a little differently than usual this weekend, focusing only on the race set-up, and then we’ll see. I think the top five could be within reach, but obviously we’ll have to see how the race unfolds.”

With no qualifying stakes for Antonelli on Saturday, Mercedes is likely to call upon him to support team-mate George Russell. The importance of securing a slipstream around Monza’s long straights is magnified with this year’s car characteristics, and Antonelli may play a crucial supporting role.

“It could happen,” Antonelli acknowledged. “It’s a conversation we’ll also have internally so that we’re ready in case that situation arises. But it’s not a given. Obviously, I’ll talk about it with the team and then we’ll see how things go. But I do think it could happen.”

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