Antonelli penalty at Monza, Wolff: “We have to win the World Championship, not the PR trophy”

Antonelli with penalty at Monza

Kimi Antonelli, as is well known, will serve a grid penalty at the Monza GP. Although the race on September 6 is his home race, it was the World Championship leader himself who pushed to have a new power unit on his W17, the fifth homologated for the championship. A decision made in agreement with Mercedes, and which found the clear approval of Toto Wolff.

Read more Capelli: “Ferrari on the edge of the World Championship fight, Monza crucial for an emotional sprint”

The Austrian makes pragmatism his prerogative: patience if the handicap start penalizes the 20-year-old; Antonelli must think about winning the World Championship, not Monza. And for the World Championship, it is logical to start from the back of the grid on the track that allows the most overtaking.

Wolff’s words

“We fight for the championship, not to get the PR ‘trophy’“, Wolff explained.

Read more Russell ‘wingman’ of Antonelli, Steiner has no doubts: “At Mercedes they have decided, Wolff can tell anyone what to do”

As we reported, Russell will also face a grid penalty, but later in the year: “Discussions are still ongoing, in case we decide to proceed“.

Antonelli, then, is in the ideal condition to introduce the fifth power unit of the season. With a 59-point lead in the standings, the Bolognese can afford two missteps and be sure to maintain the top of the World Championship. And currently, the most in-form rival – Lando Norris – starts from an even larger gap, 83 points.

Read more Mekies reveals the behind-the-scenes of the negotiation with Verstappen: “He always told us he wanted to stay”