Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has predicted Mercedes will take a grid penalty this year to ensure it is in a safe position with its power units at the final rounds of the season.
Kimi Antonelli suffered a power unit issue in the closing stages of Sunday's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, eliminating him from the race.
It adds to the concern at Mercedes after George Russell was also forced into retirement at the Canadian Grand Prix last month for a power unit failure of his own.
Drivers are allowed to use a certain amount of each power unit component penalty-free, but exceeding the allowance results in grid penalties.
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Mercedes PU components used so far in 2026
| Driver | ICE (Limit) | TC (Limit) | EXH (Limit) | MGU-K (Limit) | ES (Limit) | PU-CE (Limit) | PU-ANC (Limit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell | 2(3) | 2(3) | 2(3) | 2(2) | 2(2) | 2(2) | 4(5) |
| Antonelli | 2(3) | 2(3) | 2(3) | 1(2) | 2(2) | 2(2) | 3(5) |
Mercedes enjoyed a strong opening six rounds to the campaign as it went on a winning streak before Ferrari secured victory in Barcelona following the introduction of a significant upgrade package.
Montoya has predicted that Mercedes is already looking at overtake-friendly tracks on the calendar as an opportunity to introduce a new engine to its pool later this year.
“At the end of the season, you're going to have to put [on] extra parts, and you're going to get grid penalties,” Montoya told F1.
“When you start getting grid penalties, the points are going to flip.
“If you're going for a championship, and you have to take five or 10-place penalties, it's going to make your day a lot harder.
“So, I guarantee you, we're going to see when we get to Spa and races like that, we're going to see Mercedes taking a penalty for extra equipment.
“Just to make sure they're in a better place for the end of the year.”
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