APEX RACEWIRE Newsroom
Antonelli Faces Grid Penalty Threat After Engine Change
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is balancing on the edge of a grid penalty following the recent installation of a new engine in his car.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-07-17T11:15:00.000Z - 1 min read
Andrea Kimi Antonelli could potentially face a grid penalty at one of the upcoming races. The cause of this is a recent engine change carried out for the young driver.
According to Formule 1 regulations, teams are permitted to use only a limited number of engines per season without incurring consequences. Exceeding this limit usually results in a penalty on the starting grid.
With the recent engine replacement, Antonelli has now come so close to the maximum allowed count that a subsequent change will almost certainly net him a penalty. This would directly negatively affect his starting position.
Although engine changes are sometimes necessary for reliability or performance enhancement, each additional installation brings a risk to the sporting outcome of a race weekend.