World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli: Penalty confirmed for home race at Monza

Kimi Antonelli failed to shine at his first home race at Monza last year. In the third practice session, he drove his Mercedes into the gravel trap, triggering a red flag. In qualifying, he had to settle for seventh place, and although he finished eighth on race day, he slipped to ninth due to a five-second penalty. The young Mercedes driver had received this penalty for forcing Alex Albon off the track.

The curly-haired driver from Bologna won’t have an easy time of it this year either. As feared, he will have to contend with a grid penalty on the high-speed circuit in the Royal Park. The reason: the Mercedes team has decided to fit him with a new engine at Monza, which exceeds the permitted allocation.

Antonelli confirmed in the Zandvoort paddock: “I’ll have to accept the penalty for the new engine at Monza. We made this decision together because it’s a track where it’s relatively easy to overtake. Of course, it’s my home race, but ultimately it’s about the World Championship title and ensuring we have the best chance in the title fight. That’s why Monza was right at the top of the list of circuits where an engine penalty can be served.”

Nevertheless, there’s a great deal of anticipation for the race in the Royal Park: “It’s certainly going to be a great race all the same; I’ll have passionate support from the fans there and can’t wait to get going. It’s certainly going to be different from last year; I’m expecting a different atmosphere and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve also got a very special helmet design for the race.”

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