Starting from the back of the grid at the Italian GP has not changed Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s ambition for his home race. Penalized for the installation of new power unit components, the Mercedes driver said on Thursday (3) at Monza that he intends to adopt a “full attack” approach to recover as many positions as possible, while still avoiding unnecessary risks.
Antonelli made clear that the strategy does not mean driving recklessly or putting other drivers at risk. The 19-year-old said he wants to use the situation to be more aggressive in his pursuit of points while keeping his head during battles on track.
“Given that I’m starting last, it’s going to be full attack. Obviously, I’ll still use my head. It’s not like I’m going to arrive at the first braking zone on Sunday and brake as if it were qualifying, otherwise I’d cause a crash. I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’ve got nothing to lose. The goal is to recover as many points as possible while using my head, but the mindset will be to attack as much as possible and try to gain as many positions as I can,” Antonelli said.
The penalty comes from Mercedes fitting Antonelli with his fifth power unit of the 2026 campaign, automatically sending him to the back of the grid regardless of his qualifying result.
Despite the frustration of receiving such a significant penalty at his home Grand Prix, Antonelli believes the decision could prove beneficial later in the season by reducing the risk of further reliability problems.
“It’s not ideal to take a penalty at your home Grand Prix, especially one this big. But ultimately, as a team, we’re looking at the championship, and this is definitely one of the best tracks to do it. So it’s better to change everything now and hopefully avoid any problems in the future. I think that will allow me to enjoy it even more, to drive with less pressure, and I think that’s a positive thing,” he added.
With his starting position already effectively determined, Antonelli and Mercedes can approach the weekend differently from the rest of the field. Rather than balancing the car between qualifying performance and race pace, the team can place greater emphasis on race setup and long-run performance.
That could prove particularly useful at Monza, where aerodynamic efficiency and straight-line speed are crucial. Without having to prioritize the ideal compromise for a single qualifying lap, Mercedes can devote more attention to making the car consistent over longer runs and easier to manage during the race.
Antonelli believes a top-five finish is achievable, although he acknowledged that the final result will depend on how the race develops.
“This weekend we’ll definitely have the chance to work a little differently than usual. We might focus a little more on setup, because even if I get pole, I’ll always start last. I think a top-five finish is very achievable, but obviously we’ll also have to see how everything goes,” Antonelli said.
The Italian driver arrives at Monza as the 2026 Formula 1 championship leader, making his home Grand Prix an unusual combination of pressure and opportunity. The grid penalty removes the possibility of converting qualifying performance directly into a strong starting position, but it also gives Mercedes more freedom to optimize the car exclusively for Sunday’s race.
The Italian GP takes place this weekend, from September 4 to 6, at Monza. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action from the Italian GP, the 13th round of the 2026 F1 season.
FAQ
1. Why will Andrea Kimi Antonelli start last at Monza?
Antonelli will start from the back of the grid because Mercedes fitted his fifth power unit of the 2026 season, triggering a grid penalty.
2. What did Antonelli mean by “full attack”?
The Mercedes driver said he intends to be aggressive when recovering positions but stressed that he will still use his head and avoid unnecessary risks, particularly in the first braking zone.
3. What is Antonelli targeting at the Italian GP?
Despite starting last, Antonelli believes a top-five finish is achievable and plans to use Mercedes’ greater freedom to focus on race setup and long-run performance.
