Kimi Antonelli arrives at his home race leading the championship by 59 points, the first Italian to top the standings at Monza since Alberto Ascari in 1953. But he will not start anywhere near the front of the grid.
Mercedes have confirmed Antonelli will take a back-of-the-grid engine penalty this weekend, a decision Toto Wolff made weeks ago and has stood by despite the optics. “Obviously, algorithms don’t take their nationality into consideration,” Wolff said in Zandvoort. “Monza is the easiest circuit on the calendar to overtake at, so if Antonelli has to lose ground, this is where it costs the least.”
George Russell will not be penalised this weekend, and Antonelli is sacrificing his own qualifying position to tow him, repaying Russell for doing the same earlier this season. “This week he’s willing to help me out in qualifying, which is great as well. That’s just the way we are as a team,” Russell said, though he stopped short of saying that goodwill survives a tighter title fight: “if it gets closer, it will just be agreed upon.”
Russell resisted the idea that Mercedes’ penalty situation hands them the weekend. Asked if Monza’s power-unit demands make Mercedes favourites, he said only “we definitely probably have a greater opportunity than we’ve had in the last two races,” naming Red Bull’s power unit as a threat and calling it, plainly, “a four-team race.” Mercedes’ upgrade choices show two changes, both minor drag reductions: winglets removed from the rear wing, mirror stays trimmed, the smallest package on the grid alongside Racing Bulls. Russell explained why: “We know we’re an upgrade behind most of the gridg it’s the right call for the championship over any single win.”
Ferrari’s honest gamble: their FIA-submitted package is the most extensive on the grid, targeting aerodynamic drag saving. Charles Leclerc didn’t claim the upgrades would close the gap, only that he hoped they’d “help us close the gap a little bit to the teams we expect having the upper hand this weekend,” quietly admitting Ferrari expect to start Monza behind. He also noted a useful technical detail: unlike previous eras, when teams stripped 100 points of downforce for Monza, the grid is running configurations close to normal this year. “That will be probably the biggest difference on a track like this,” he said, “other than the obvious one, which is the power unit.”
McLaren’s smaller bet: their submission is modest by comparison, focusing on minor tweaks. With strategic decisions from the top three teams, the Italian Grand Prix is set to be a showcase of long-term thinking amid home-race pressure and a tightening title battle.
Read Also
George Russell memimpin FP2 GP Italia di Monza, ungguli Leclerc 0,120 detik. Persaingan ketat antara Mercedes, Ferrari, dan McLaren jelang kualifikasi.
George Russell memuncaki FP2 GP Italia, menggeser Charles Leclerc. Simak analisis performa, insiden, dan dampaknya terhadap balapan di Monza.
George Russell memuncaki FP2 GP Italia di Monza, mengungguli Charles Leclerc dan Kimi Antonelli. Persaingan Mercedes vs Ferrari memanas.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!