- Defending champions McLaren suffered a shock double DNS in China.
- Separate electrical power unit issues sidelined both Norris and Piastri.
- Haas’s Bearman overtook Norris in standings after the Shanghai failure.
McLaren, the defending Constructors’ champions, didn’t make it to the grid of the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit. At first, Lando Norris, who was supposed to start in 6th, a position behind his teammate Oscar Piastri, was announced to sit out the race due to technical issues.
Norris was still hopeful of racing as he sat in the car, likely assuming the issue would be sorted and that he would start from the pit lane. This is because he was still in the garage as the pit exit closed.
Meanwhile, Piastri, who had made it to the grid, was dragged back into the garage. It was later revealed by Piastri that his car faced “an electrical issue on the power unit”, which made him sit out the second Grand Prix in a row in 2026.
Norris and Piastri explain the issues
Following their DNS, both McLaren drivers, Norris and Piastri, addressed the media, explaining the issues that occurred in their cars and sharing their thoughts on missing the race. The reigning world champion revealed that he had no idea how long the technical issue had been ongoing, but described the problem as “an electrical issue with the power unit” that kept the car from starting.
Therefore, he just let the team handle and figure things out. However, he learned about his retirement from the Grand Prix 20 minutes before going to the grid. He’s positive that the team has been working on sorting the issues for a while.
“So, yeah, a shame. My first non-start in F1, which is sad. And even worse, it’s a double do-not-start with Oscar as well. So, yeah, not the best day for us,” he shared, expressing disappointment. He revealed that they stayed for a couple of laps to see if things worked out and so they could partake in the race, but eventually the luck wasn’t in their favour today.
Meanwhile, Piastri was all set to start the race from his designated position on the grid. In a shocking turn of events, he was called back due to an electrical issue with the power unit. Piastri also clarified that although his and Norris’ car had an electrical issue, the problem itself was not the same for both. He described the whole situation as “disappointing.”
Speaking about the unfortunate start to his 2026 season, he elaborated, “It’s been a while since I’ve watched two Grands Prix on TV. Obviously, you know, this one is a bit different. You know, last week was pretty rough to take.”
Disappointing start to the season for the McLarens
McLaren, which currently runs the Mercedes power unit, appears to be struggling to fully understand and extract maximum performance from the engine under the new regulations. Andrea Stella earlier mentioned that the car still needs improvements in its corner grip and power unit exploitation, holding it back from matching rivals’ performances.
At the Australian Grand Prix, only Norris was able to bring 10 points for the team, with Piastri having to face an early retirement even before joining the grid, as he crashed. During the Chinese Sprint, Norris and Piastri brought 5 and 3 points, respectively, which makes the team’s total points 18.
With the double DNS in the main race, they both lost out on points, which altered the drivers’ and team standings. Norris lost his 5th position to Oliver Bearman (Haas), whereas Piastri stands 12th in the current standings.
Despite the troubling end to the weekend, McLaren stands 3rd in the Constructors’ Championship. However, they will soon need to up their game, as Haas is catching up on points.
