Andrea Kimi Antonelli, current leader of the Formula 1 championship, will start from the last position at his home race, the Italian Grand Prix, due to a complete power unit change decided by Mercedes. This decision comes after exceeding the allowed limit of engines for the season.
Drivers have a maximum of four engines throughout the year, but Mercedes’ reliability issues during the first part of the season have led the team to consider it was just a matter of time before this limit was exceeded. Antonelli was already at the limit with his V6, as well as the exhaust system.
The confirmation of the engine change has occurred just before the Monza event. As explained by Toto Wolff, director of Mercedes, the decision was not influenced by the fact that Monza is the Italian’s home race. ‘We are here to fight for a championship, not to create a better image,’ Wolff assured.
In addition, British driver George Russell will also find himself in a similar situation, although the team has not determined when his engine change will take place. The next most suitable opportunity could be the Azerbaijan GP, which features a layout with many overtaking opportunities.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
