'Hamilton gets grid penalty and starts at the back of the grid at Monza'

Lewis Hamilton will start the race at Monza from the back of the grid. The Mercedes driver is taking his fourth engine and will therefore incur a grid penalty. This is reported by Auto und Motor Sport.

At Spa, Hamilton collided with Fernando Alonso and bounced hard on the asphalt. The engine did not survive the impact and the Briton now gets an extra engine added to his engine pool.

The choice to add the bike to the pool at Monza is due to the circuit. At the 'Temple of Speed', teams usually opt for less wing due to the high speeds and downforce, thus reducing the effect of DRS and slipstream. But the layout and high speeds do provide opportunities for overtaking. Looking ahead to the upcoming races in Singapore and Japan, where overtaking is a lot more difficult, the choice to add the new engine to the engine pool already in Monza is a logical one.

Besides Hamilton, it is also known that former teammate Valtteri Bottas will receive a grid penalty. He crashed out in the Dutch Grand Prix and will have to replace his Ferrari engine.

Another possible candidate would be Red Bull driver Sergio Perez. While team-mate Max Verstappen changed to his fourth engine at Spa, Perez is still using the three engines and has exhausted all his permitted changes. For the same reason Hamilton would change engines this weekend, Perez would choose Monza over Singapore or Japan. With Red Bull Racing's high top speed, getting to the front of the field should be easier at Monza than in subsequent races.