Mercedes F1 star Kimi Antonelli confirms grid penalty: 'We'll try to recover anyway'

It was a matter of when, not if, and F1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli has confirmed when he will take that inevitable grid penalty.

The 19-year-old Italian star and Mercedes team-mate George Russell are both currently on the verge of triggering a penalty for exceeding the number of power unit components allowed across a season.

Now Antonelli has confirmed that he will take his penalty at his home Italian Grand Prix in Monza on September 6.

While the penalty will immediately put Antonelli at a disadvantage in front of his adoring fans, he says the decision has been taken for a very specific reason. Monza gives him the best chance to recover during the race.

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"We'll do it in Monza because it's one of the easiest tracks to overtake.

"It's also true that it's my home race, but right now I'm thinking more about the championship, and since we'll inevitably have to take a penalty at some point in the season, I need to evaluate where I can give myself the best chance of making up positions and getting a result.

"That's why Monza is definitely at the top of the list for the penalty, and we'll try to recover anyway to have a good race in front of the fans."

Antonelli had led closest rival Lewis Hamilton by 50 points heading into the current Dutch Grand Prix weekend, and that margin increased to 53 after Saturday's Sprint race.

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