Italian GP: Hamilton to fight from the back after Monza grid penalty

Mercedes said Hamilton would be using his fourth unit after damaging one at the Belgian Grand Prix when he collided with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso on the opening lap.

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will start this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to penalties for exceeding his season’s power unit allocation.

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is set to start Sunday's Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to penalties for exceeding his season's power unit allocation.

Mercedes said Hamilton, a five-time winner at Monza, would be using his fourth unit after damaging one at the Belgian Grand Prix when he collided with Alpine's Fernando Alonso on the opening lap.

"I'm going to have to recover the best I can from the back," Hamilton told reporters at Monza, a super-fast circuit which at least has overtaking opportunities.

Mercedes said after Spa that Hamilton's Mercedes took a 45G vertical hit when the car pitched high into the air before coming down hard on the asphalt runoff area at Les Combes.

Hamilton then retired from the race with a loss of water pressure.

The third engine had been new for the race in Belgium and Mercedes said it was working on a recovery plan for it but it could not be run this weekend.

Hamilton is sixth in the championship but effectively out of title contention, a massive 152 points behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen with seven races remaining.

Verstappen has won 10 of 15 races so far this year, and the last four.

The Briton and Verstappen collided at Monza last year, with the Red Bull landing on top of the Mercedes and both retiring from the race.