Kimi Antonelli on verge of F1 grid penalty as Mercedes confirm investigation

Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of a Formula 1 grid penalty after having a fourth power unit fitted to his W17, with Mercedes investigating a potential issue.

It was confirmed ahead of first practice at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix that the championship leader had moved onto the final power unit in his allocation, meaning a grid penalty has, for now, been avoided.

However, it leaves the 19-year-old at real risk of a grid penalty at a future event, with any further power unit change resulting in a penalty.

Mercedes has faced several power unit gremlins this season for both George Russell and Antonelli, costing the duo significant points on multiple occasions.

The Silver Arrows have opted for an engine change for the Belgian Grand Prix after identifying a potential issue in the data from the power unit Antonelli used at the British Grand Prix.

To avoid the risk of a failure, the team made the change to allow it to investigate whether the suspected issue is a genuine cause for concern.

Mercedes hopes the power unit can be used again later this season once the issue has been resolved, avoiding the need for another new engine and the grid penalty that would come with it.