McLaren suffered a devastating blow at the Chinese Grand Prix, recording a rare double DNS after both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were unable to start the race due to separate electrical issues.
What began as a routine pre‑race procedure quickly spiralled into one of the team’s most difficult days in recent memory, leaving them without a single lap completed on Sunday and Piastri still yet to start a Grand Prix this season.
Norris was the first to encounter trouble when an electrical problem on the power unit side prevented his car from firing up in the garage. The team worked frantically as the pit lane countdown ticked away, but once the exit closed, the best he could have hoped for was a pit‑lane start. Ultimately, the issue proved unfixable, ruling him out before the formation lap.
Moments later, McLaren’s day worsened. Piastri, who had successfully taken his place on the grid, was suddenly wheeled back into the pit lane with a different electrical issue—this one also on the power unit side. With the problem emerging just minutes before lights out, the team had no time to attempt repairs, confirming a second non‑start.
Norris expressed his frustration after the race, saying: “It’s disappointing to come such a long way and put in so much effort, not just me but the whole team, and to not start the race.
“We had an electrical problem on the power unit side that prevented us from starting the car. The mechanics worked as hard as they could to try and fix it, but unfortunately, we couldn’t.”
He also highlighted the cruel luck of both cars suffering unrelated failures, adding: “What makes it even more frustrating is that Oscar and I seem to have had completely unrelated issues on both cars, so just very unlucky all around.”
Despite the setback, Norris remained determined to move forward. “We just have to take it on the chin, learn what the problem was, and make sure it never happens again. Everyone in the team is frustrated, our engineers, mechanics and HPP teammates.
“All of us want to go racing and score points.” He also expressed disappointment at missing the chance to race in front of the Chinese fans, saying: “It’s a shame I couldn’t race in front of the fans here today, especially after all their support.
“The team are already working hard to find the issue and fix it for next time, and we’ll get our heads down now and make sure we’re prepared for Suzuka in a few weeks’ time.”
Wait for it… RUNNNNN!!! pic.twitter.com/KQxc7UoY2i
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 15, 2026
Norris ended by offering praise to the race winner: “Finally, congratulations to Kimi on the win today. You always remember your first victory. I hope he gets the opportunity to soak it all in.”
Piastri echoed the disappointment, describing the day as a major setback for the team. “A tough day for the team. While I made it to the grid, unfortunately, I had an electrical issue on the power unit side, which was different to Lando’s, which we are still investigating.”
He emphasised the frustration of losing yet another race distance, adding: “While this is never what we want to happen, this is just sometimes how it goes in racing. Even more frustrating is missing out on another race distance, as we know that time on track is critical in learning how to get the most out of this era of cars.”
Piastri also thanked the team for their efforts and congratulated the race winner, saying: “Thank you to the team for all of their efforts this weekend and well done to Kimi Antonelli on his first F1 win – it is a big achievement and something you never forget.” Looking ahead, he remained focused on recovery: “Now, we will get our heads down and switch our focus to Japan.”
