Kimi Antonelli set for ANOTHER engine penalty this season in Lewis Hamilton title boost

Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli has revealed he is likely to take another power unit penalty later this season, handing Lewis Hamilton and his F1 rivals another boost in the title race.

Antonelli heads to Monza this weekend top of the pile in the drivers' standings and on track to become the youngest world champion the sport has ever seen after a stunning first half of the season.

The young Italian is 59 points clear of team-mate George Russell in second and Hamilton in third, while Lando Norris - back in the title discussion after back-to-back wins in Hungary and the Netherlands - is 83 points adrift in fourth.

Unfortunately for Antonelli, his rivals look as though they could make up ground this weekend, with the young star set to take a grid penalty and start from the back for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

Antonelli is on the verge of exceeding his penalty-free power unit components for the season after failures earlier in the season, and Mercedes have decided that Monza is the best place for him to take the grid drop.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc confirms Ferrari exit talks as F1 star honest about 'other opportunities'

Kimi Antonelli set for further penalty in 2026

However, Antonelli's grid drop misery may not end in Monza.

The engine components that Mercedes are introducing to his power unit this weekend are not part of their new spec upgrade that they are allowed under the additional development and upgrade opportunities (ADUO) system.

Therefore, Antonelli is facing further punishment when that new spec power unit eventually arrives.

"I think we’ll take another penalty with the engine," Antonelli said ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, via Autoracer.it.

"But there it’ll only be five grid positions. So at least now we’re changing everything so we won’t have any problems later on."

Antonelli: Not ideal taking grid penalty in Monza

Antonelli has also shared his thoughts on his grid penalty this weekend, and he says it is far from ideal.

The 20-year-old is bidding to become the first Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix since 1966, and now faces a major uphill task to please the home crowd. However, he and Mercedes are looking at the big picture.

“It’s not ideal to get a penalty at your home Grand Prix, especially one this significant," Antonelli said.

"But ultimately, as a team, we’re focused on the championship, and this is definitely one of the best tracks to do that.

"So it’s better to make these changes now to avoid problems later—and, of course, hopefully in the future.”

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