Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, 59 points clear of his team-mates, will start the Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid. Toto Wolff confirmed the driver will take a penalty for an engine change. With just one win in the last six races, the team picked Italy as the strategic place to absorb the hit and rebuild from there. Mercedes are taking a risk.
The weight of the decision is sharpened by the fact that Monza is Antonelli's home race, though the team principal noted: "When you make decisions that benefit the championship campaign, sometimes you pay a short-term price." While the sister car of George Russell moves forward, the power-hungry Italian circuit will turn into a brutal afternoon for Antonelli. It is a heavy price the team is paying for a future title.
