Formula 1 experienced a rare and embarrassing situation for McLaren at the 2026 Chinese GP. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were out of the race even before the start due to electrical failures linked to the Mercedes power unit.
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The problem took both cars out of the race at different times, but with the same general origin in the mechanical assembly. Norris didn’t even make it out of the pits, while Piastri was removed from the grid moments before the start of the formation lap.
Norris revealed that he learned of the situation shortly before he had to leave the garage. According to the Briton, the team had already been working on the car for some time, but the problem ended up preventing even the engine from starting.
“It was some electrical problem in the power unit and, because of that, we couldn’t even start the car,” he stated. The driver especially lamented the fact that it was his first retirement even before the start in Formula 1, aggravated by the fact that McLaren also lost Piastri’s car.
The Briton also said that he remained in the cockpit during the opening laps in the hope of an unlikely turnaround. The team assessed that a red flag or some unexpected change could open a chance to put him on the track, even a few laps down.
“We stayed there for the first few laps in case there was a red flag or something and luck turned our way, but that didn’t happen,” Norris said. For him, the biggest frustration was not even being able to try to do his job on an important Sunday for the team.
Norris also highlighted the impact of the problem on all of McLaren. “I’m disappointed. It’s not just for me, it’s for the whole team. The mechanics and everyone put a lot of work into this, and it’s a very complicated piece of equipment. There are many new things and some new problems that we are still discovering,” he stated.
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In Piastri’s case, the situation seemed normal until arriving at the grid. The Australian explained that everything went well on the way to the start, but the failure appeared shortly before the start of the race and prevented his participation.
“Everything was fine on the way to the grid,” he stated. “It was also an electrical problem in the power unit, which I think was the same type of origin as Lando’s, but not exactly the same electrical problem,” the driver explained.
Piastri admitted disappointment with the episode, especially because it happened at a circuit where he had already won in the past. Still, he treated the situation as part of the natural risks of a season started under new technical regulations.
“Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens in motorsport sometimes, especially at the beginning of a new regulation, so it’s probably not such a big surprise,” he said. The driver pointed out, however, that the hardest part was seeing both of the team’s cars out of the race at the same time.
After two Grand Prix rounds in 2026, Piastri has yet to complete a single lap in a main race. Even so, he has three points in the championship thanks to his performance in the Sprint held on Saturday in Shanghai.
Commenting on the moment, the Australian tried to keep a light tone. “It’s been a while since I watched two Grands Prix on TV,” he joked. Still, he made it clear that the sequence of problems weighs heavily on the team at this start of the Formula 1 season.
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