The Formula 1 season is becoming increasingly intense with teams’ strategies to face engine change penalties. In this context, Mercedes may decide that Kimi Antonelli is the driver who takes the penalty at their home Grand Prix in Monza.
Currently, Antonelli, who leads the championship, has already reached the limit of his allocation of used engines, as well as other components such as the exhaust system and energy stores. He has an additional turbo and MGU-K unit, which means that if he decides to switch to a new engine or a key component, he will automatically receive a penalty for the next race.
Teams often strategically plan these penalties, choosing circuits where overtaking is easier. Monza is considered one of the tracks where this is possible, which may lead Mercedes to make the play at the Italian Grand Prix.
The team’s director, Toto Wolff, has expressed that he still hopes not to have to make this change. He has said that it is necessary to discuss with Antonelli’s family whether it is a good idea to take the penalty at such an iconic circuit for the young driver.
Additionally, Wolff mentioned that they are considering other circuits, like Baku, for future penalties. The instability of the engines has been a recurring issue, and decisions will be made based on the reliability of existing components.
Antonelli already faced an electrical issue during the Barcelona GP, a situation that compromised his qualifying, and he now hopes to resolve it in Austria in the next race.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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