Kimi Antonelli starts the upcoming Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid, Toto Wolff confirms in an official preview. At Zandvoort, Mercedes already revealed that it would perform an engine change in Monza and accept the associated penalties for Antonelli. Wolff emphasizes that so many components are being replaced that the championship leader will have to start at the back of the grid. Disappointing for his home fans, but no less tactical.
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“For us, Monza starts with a challenge,” said Wolff via Mercedes’ official channels. “Kimi (Antonelli, ed.) receives a penalty for replacing the engine and must start at the back of the grid. That is disappointing for him and for the fans who would have liked to see him fighting at the front during his home race, but sentiment is not rewarded in our sport,” he noted.
“When you make decisions that are favorable for the championship fight, you sometimes pay a price in the short term,” Wolff explained. “The goal is now clear: to make up as many places as possible and score the maximum number of points,” he concluded. In the Nu Silver Arrows podcast, technical director Andrew Shovlin further explained why the team is taking a grid penalty specifically at Monza.
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Tactical choice by Mercedes
“Monza offers few opportunities to recharge the battery and has four overtaking zones,” the Brit explained. “A driver therefore cannot defend continuously, so a faster car should be able to make progress relatively easily.” In 2021, former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas raced the fast W12 to the podium after he also had to start at the back due to a grid penalty. “The most important thing is that we need these components,” Shovlin emphasized. “We have lost a number of engines after relatively few kilometers, so we know that at some point we will definitely need new parts. Then it is better to choose now to take a grid penalty, rather than changing later at a circuit where starting at the back is much more disadvantageous.”
Antonelli finished second at the recent Dutch GP, behind Lando Norris of McLaren. Mercedes teammate George Russell came in third. In the championship standings, Antonelli has a 59-point lead over Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Technical problems aside, the 20-year-old Italian has consistently finished on the podium so far this season.
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