Kimi Antonelli will start from the back of the grid at the 2026 F1 Italian GP after taking a power unit penalty. The Mercedes driver heads into his home race leading the Drivers’ Championship by 59 points over George Russell. Despite the grid drop, Antonelli was upbeat at his media day ahead of the weekend, describing the situation as one that has actually freed him mentally rather than added pressure.
Antonelli on Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull’s threat at Monza
Monza is one of the most power-sensitive circuits on the calendar, making it a significant test for any team without a recent upgrade. Asked how the circuit could suit the Mercedes and how high he thought he could climb from the back, Antonelli acknowledged the threat from Ferrari, who arrive with an ADUO engine upgrade, and McLaren.
“Yeah. Definitely. I think it’s a circuit that could suit us very well. But we’ve seen how strong McLaren is and how strong they have been in the past two races,” Antonelli stated.
Mercedes head to the Italian GP without upgrades since Canada, but Antonelli remained confident in the car’s base performance.
“Ferrari is going to be certainly on top, especially with the new engine. So definitely, you know, I think our car, despite not having any upgrades since Canada, I think it’s still a very strong car. I think this track can be good for us, but we still need to take into account that Ferrari, McLaren, even Red Bull might be quick this weekend. We need to still take into account that especially those two teams will be there at the front.”
Antonelli on the mindset shift that comes with starting from the back
Kimi Antonelli is no stranger to pressure at the front of the field. Starting from the back at his home race presented a different kind of challenge. He was asked how the grid penalty had affected his mindset heading into the 2026 F1 Italian GP.
“I think in some ways it helps to release pressure. Although I’d very much rather fight for pole and start at the front. But in some ways, I feel like it makes me a bit more relaxed going into the weekend. And I think also that’s why I’m going to be able to enjoy more the driving and the weekend itself.”
He also pointed to the opportunity the penalty creates in free practice to try different approaches.
“And, of course, as well, it’s a different opportunity. It’s an opportunity to try something different during the weekend, different work method as well, in free practice especially, because, you know, we have the chance to do so. So, yeah, I think it’s going to be a very interesting weekend.”
Antonelli on whether victory at the 2026 F1 Italian GP is still possible
Asked directly whether he still believed he could win the Italian GP, Antonelli gave an honest assessment of his realistic expectations while keeping his target clear.
“I would be very happy if I would win! Yeah. Definitely takes the pressure away. And as I said earlier, you know, I feel like definitely going in the car with even, you know, very minimal thoughts in the mind, just very free, and just going to enjoy the driving and the weekend. So, of course, the goal is always the same, and we’re going to try to maximise the result.”
Antonelli was realistic about the challenge ahead. The gap between cars at Monza will determine how far he can climb. He set a top five as his realistic target while leaving the door open for more.
“But, yeah, I think, you know, in an ideal world, I think realistically, you know, top five, you can do well. But it’s all driven by your pace, how fast you are, what’s the gap between cars. You know, we might be really quick, but, you know, Ferrari, McLaren or Red Bull, they might be very close that it is probably not enough to catch them during a race, but we’ll see.
“But definitely, I feel like, you know, I feel very free mentally going into this weekend. I’m actually very excited, very much looking forward to it, but with no real pressure.”
Why Antonelli chose the Italian GP to take his power unit penalty
Monza was identified early as the ideal circuit to absorb the penalty given the number of overtaking opportunities the layout provides. Asked how Monza’s energy demands could help or hurt his climb through the field, Antonelli explained the thinking behind the decision to take the penalty here.
“I think because it’s a very energy-starved circuit, I think it creates a lot of opportunities to overtake. And that’s why this track was the main one. It was the one that we chose to take the penalty because, obviously, there are other tracks where, you know, it’s possible to overtake, but this one, because it’s very energy-starved and there are a lot of places where you can, you know, play differently as well, that gives us the best chance to climb through the field.
“And that’s what we feel is the best, and that’s why we took this decision. And hopefully it’s going to work out on Sunday,” Antonelli concluded.
