Toto Wolff has set out the objectives for Kimi Antonelli at the Italian GP after confirmation that he will take an engine penalty at his home race.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start from the back of the grid in Monza, taking a mandated engine penalty for exceeding the maximum component limits.
The Italian driver is on his fourth of four internal combustion engines and exhausts, and his third of three energy stores and control electronics. In line with current regulations, drivers must take a 10-place grid drop for taking a new component over the limit and a 5-place grid drop for any additional components taken after the first penalty.
Mercedes has decided to bring a full new power unit for Antonelli at the Italian GP, which Wolff admits may be disappointing for his home crowd but insists it is the right decision in the long run.
“For us, Monza begins with a challenge.
“Kimi will take a power unit penalty and start from the back of the grid. It’s disappointing for him and for the fans who want to see him fighting from the front in his home race, but our sport doesn’t reward sentiment.
“When you make decisions that benefit the championship campaign, sometimes you pay a short-term price. The objective now is straightforward: recover as many places as possible and maximise the points.”
Toto Wolff:’Exciting weekend’ to come
Despite unfortunate timing for Antonelli, Monza is a logical choice to take the penalty due to the nature of the track. Overtakes are readily available, especially with a new power unit as nearly 80% of the lap is at full throttle.
However, Wolff acknowledged that this year’s 50/50 power split engines and the power deployment will create a new challenge.
“Monza is an energy-poor track. You spend much of the lap asking everything from the power unit and don’t have many opportunities to charge the battery.
“With the current regulations, that creates compromises that will need to be managed carefully.
“It is an interesting challenge and one that will likely lead to an exciting weekend.”
So far this year, only four drivers have finished in the points at their home race. Including Oscar Piastri’s DNS in Melbourne, four drivers have failed to even take the chequered flag in front of their home crowd. Regardless of his engine penalty, Antonelli will be hoping to break the so-called ‘home race curse’ in Monza.
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