Mercedes was permitted one upgrade token under Formula 1’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities scheme, but has confirmed that Kimi Antonelli won’t race with an updated power unit at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
One of the biggest talking points heading into the Monza round is Antonelli’s grid drop, which comes as he exceeds his power unit allowance for the 2026 season. The championship leader has already used four ICEs and will use a completely new unit this weekend at his home race, a decision that will see him start from the back of the grid.
What’s more, this may not be his last penalty of the season, as there are still 11 rounds remaining on the 2026 calendar, pending the future of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races.
Teams are therefore calculating the mileage they still need to cover and assessing which circuits would minimise the impact of taking a grid penalty. Mercedes has chosen Monza for Antonelli as it is one of the easiest circuits on the calendar to make up positions.
Kimi Antonelli starts on the back foot at his home grand prix
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot
However, there could be another thorn in Antonelli’s side, as the number five power unit that he will use this weekend will not feature the upgrades permitted under ADUO. Mercedes has been granted the opportunity to introduce an updated power unit, but its debut is scheduled for the American leg of the championship in October - either at Austin or Mexico City.
Antonelli and Russell are therefore expected to use six power units over the course of the full championship, confining them to further grid drops going forward.
With the upgrade in the works, questions now swirl over Mercedes' decision to introduce a new engine for Antonelli this weekend, rather than waiting until the update is ready. However, this is all to do with the “pool” of engines that the Italian has at his disposal.
Reliability issues, failures and other terminal issues hit the number of components available for Antonelli, hence the need to introduce a new unit. Team-mate George Russell, however, faces a slightly better situation. The Briton has used the same number of components as Antonelli, but retains a larger pool at his disposal, having suffered fewer terminal failures.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
- The Motorsport.com Team
Originally published by motorsport.com —
Read Original Article