Kimi Antonelli confirms F1 grid penalty decision

Kimi Antonelli has confirmed that he will take a grid penalty at the Italian Grand Prix, despite it being his home race.

Every F1 driver has an allocation of power unit components that they can use per season before incurring grid penalties.

Some competitors this year have already been issued grid drops for exceeding the quota, but they have so far evaded Mercedes, who has enjoyed a strong start to the season.

However, Antonelli and team-mate George Russell both sit on the verge of a penalty - and the latter has now confirmed he will take the punishment at Monza next month.

“We'll do it in Monza," Antonelli said, as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. “It's one of the easiest tracks to overtake.”

The Italian event will follow the Dutch Grand Prix that takes place this weekend, which marks the sport's return following the summer break.

Although the penalty will severely dent his chances of triumphing on home soil, Antonelli insisted the decision was taken in the interest of prevailing in the title fight, with a 50-point lead to protect.

“It's also true that it's my home race, but right now I'm thinking more about the championship,” he said.

“Since we'll inevitably have to take a penalty at some point in the season, I need to evaluate where I can give myself the best chance of making up positions and getting a result. 

“That's why Monza is definitely at the top of the list for the penalty, and we'll try to recover anyway to have a good race in front of the fans."