News summary
- Liam Lawson has accumulated a 35-place grid penalty after Red Bull fitted his car with new ICE, turbocharger, exhaust and power-unit ancillary components beyond the 2026 allocation.
- Kimi Antonelli faces a 30-place penalty, while Alexander Albon has a 20-place drop after Mercedes and Williams exceeded their respective allocations for multiple power-unit components.
- Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, Haas, Audi and Red Bull also introduced new components at Monza, with several changes remaining within the permitted seasonal allocations.
Formula 1 teams made a significant number of power-unit changes before qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, with the FIA’s Technical Delegate’s reports revealing several components installed on the cars during the weekend.
The biggest penalties affect Liam Lawson, Kimi Antonelli and Alexander Albon, who exceeded the permitted number of certain power-unit elements for the 2026 season. Their penalties will affect Sunday’s starting grid regardless of where they qualify.
The changes come at a particularly important weekend because Monza’s long straights place a premium on power and efficiency. Mercedes had already identified the circuit as a good opportunity for recovery through the field because of the overtaking possibilities created by the slipstream.
Why Lawson’s penalty is 35 places
Lawson’s case is different from that of a driver using his own car throughout the season because he is replacing Hadjar at Red Bull Racing. The power-unit usage history therefore follows the car and the applicable replacement-driver rules.
At Monza, Red Bull introduced 5 components on the car: an ICE, turbocharger, exhaust, MGU-K and PU-ANC.
The first 3 had already exceeded their respective allocations through Hadjar’s previous usage. Because those component types had already triggered their first additional-use penalties, the subsequent additional examples carry 5 places each.
The MGU-K and PU-ANC, meanwhile, represent new additional elements and therefore attract 10 places each.
That produces the following calculation:
- ICE: 5 places
- Turbocharger: 5 places
- Exhaust: 5 places
- MGU-K: 10 places
- PU-ANC: 10 places
Total: 35 places.
The distinction comes from the 2026 regulations, which allow one additional example of each power-unit component before the grid-penalty mechanism is triggered. Once the first additional example has already been used, subsequent additional examples of the same component type carry a 5-place penalty rather than 10.
Lawson therefore carries a 35-place penalty at Monza, although the practical consequence is a start from the back of the grid because the cumulative sanction exceeds 15 places.
Lawson returned to the senior Red Bull team at Zandvoort and finished seventh, and he is now racing alongside Max Verstappen again at Monza while Hadjar continues his recovery. GRANDE PRÊMIO also previously detailed Lawson’s return to Red Bull and the opportunity it represents for his future. Lawson gets another Red Bull chance at Monza
Antonelli faces 30-place penalty
Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli also faces a major grid drop at his home race.
Mercedes fitted his car with a fifth ICE, fourth energy store and fourth control electronics unit, exceeding the respective 2026 allocations.
Each component generates a 10-place penalty for the first additional example, giving Antonelli a 30-place cumulative penalty.
The practical consequence is also a back-of-the-grid start, regardless of where he qualifies.
Mercedes deliberately accepted the penalty at Monza, where the potential for overtaking makes it a more favorable venue for recovering positions. Antonelli therefore used Friday primarily to gather long-run information and prepare for the race rather than following the same qualifying-focused program as George Russell.
Russell, meanwhile, topped both FP2 and FP3, putting Mercedes in contention for pole position. GRANDE PRÊMIO covered Russell’s FP2 victory over Charles Leclerc in its Friday report. Russell edges Leclerc to lead tight Italian GP FP2
Albon also takes 20-place penalty
Alexander Albon joins Lawson and Antonelli among the drivers facing substantial grid drops after Williams introduced a fifth ICE and fourth control electronics unit.
Both components exceeded Albon’s 2026 allocation, resulting in 10 places for each and a 20-place penalty overall.
Like Antonelli and Lawson, Albon will therefore start from the back of the grid after qualifying.
Ferrari, McLaren and others also change components
Not every power-unit change resulted in a penalty.
Ferrari introduced new components for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, including ICEs, turbochargers, exhausts and PU-ANCs, while remaining within the relevant allocations.
The changes are particularly significant for Ferrari because the team arrived at Monza with its second power-unit upgrade of the season. Leclerc described the latest ADUO development as a “step in the right direction” ahead of the weekend.
McLaren also introduced new ICEs for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Piastri received additional components. Haas, Audi and Alpine likewise made several power-unit changes without exceeding the applicable limits.
Mercedes also fitted George Russell with a new MGU-K, while Max Verstappen received new power-unit components without triggering a comparable grid penalty.
What the penalties mean for qualifying
The penalties do not prevent the affected drivers from qualifying normally. Lawson, Antonelli and Albon can still participate in qualifying according to the normal sporting regulations, but their final starting positions will be adjusted after the sanctions are applied.
That makes qualifying particularly important for drivers such as Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen, who are fighting for the front of the grid while several rivals are already guaranteed to start at the rear.
The Italian GP qualifying session begins at 16:00 local time on Saturday, September 5, at Monza. Italian GP 2026 schedule and session times
GRANDE PRÊMIO will continue to follow qualifying and the final starting-grid order at Monza.
FAQ
Why does Liam Lawson have a 35-place penalty at Monza?
Lawson is driving Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull Racing car, so the relevant power-unit history carries over. The 5 changes at Monza comprise 3 components that had already triggered their first additional-use penalties, worth 5 places each, plus a new MGU-K and PU-ANC worth 10 places each. That gives a total of 35 places.
Why is Kimi Antonelli starting at the back of the grid?
Antonelli exceeded the allocation for his ICE, energy store and control electronics, producing a combined 30-place penalty. Because the sanction exceeds 15 places, its practical effect is a back-of-the-grid start.
Which F1 drivers have grid penalties at Monza?
The major power-unit penalties at Monza affect Liam Lawson, Kimi Antonelli and Alexander Albon. Lawson carries 35 places, Antonelli 30 and Albon 20, meaning all 3 will start from the back of the grid after qualifying.
