F1 leader Antonelli can thrill home fans from the back of the grid

Kimi Antonelli will begin his home Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid, but the championship leader still has a chance to turn Monza into a personal celebration.

The Mercedes driver, who turned 20 last week, is the first Italian in 73 years to lead the Formula One championship into the race known as the Temple of Speed. After 12 rounds, Antonelli leads teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 59 points. McLaren’s Lando Norris trails by another 24 points after winning the past two races in Hungary and the Netherlands.

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It's disappointing for him and for the fans who want to see him fighting from the front in his home race, but our sport doesn't reward sentiment.

Antonelli’s new engine brought enough penalties to send him to the back, making him the pursuer rather than the driver everyone else must chase. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the decision reflected the demands of a championship campaign.

"It's disappointing for him and for the fans who want to see him fighting from the front in his home race, but our sport doesn't reward sentiment," Wolff said. "When you make decisions that benefit the championship campaign, sometimes you pay a short-term price. The objective now is straightforward: recover as many places as possible and maximise the points."

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When you make decisions that benefit the championship campaign, sometimes you pay a short-term price. The objective now is straightforward: recover as many places as possible and maximise the points.

Overtaking remains possible at Monza because of its long straights and slow chicanes. The new power units will create an additional challenge in managing power deployment, while drivers may also use tactical aerodynamic tows.

Ferrari will race before a sea of red with an updated power unit and a livery commemorating the 30th anniversary of Michael Schumacher’s first Italian Grand Prix victory with the team. Charles Leclerc has won twice at Monza for Ferrari, while Hamilton has five victories there with McLaren and Mercedes.

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Racing in front of our tifosi gives the whole team incredible energy and this year there will be an additional dimension as we celebrate Michael Schumacher and the legacy he has left in our company.

"Racing in front of our tifosi gives the whole team incredible energy and this year there will be an additional dimension as we celebrate Michael Schumacher and the legacy he has left in our company," Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur said.

McLaren has prepared minor aerodynamic upgrades and a rotating rear wing known as the H Wing. Max Verstappen, last year’s winner, made no prediction after crashing out of his home race at Zandvoort.

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We know we have had a quick car at the last few races, but we are not taking anything for granted. This is a very different track from the most recent ones, and we can expect a pecking order that not necessarily reflects what has been seen in Hungary and in the Netherlands.