There was deep frustration – and a sense of concern – inside the McLaren garage after both of the team’s drivers were ruled out before the start of the Chinese Grand Prix, with electrical faults preventing either car from taking the grid at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris never left the garage after his car developed an electronics problem, while team-mate Oscar Piastri was forced to abandon his car on the grid and return to the pitlane with what he later described as a power unit electrical fault.
The double DNS left the team stunned and marked one of McLaren’s most disappointing pre-race setbacks in recent memory.
An Unlucky First for Norris
Norris revealed the issue surfaced shortly before the start procedure, leaving little time for the team to attempt a repair.
“I don't know how long it's been going on for, honestly,” Norris commented when asked to describe the timeline of events.
“Sometimes it's better just to leave them to crack on with things, but I found out probably 20 minutes before I was meant to go out the garage. But I think they've been working at things for a little while already. Some electrical issue with the power unit, and therefore can't even start it.
“So, yeah, a shame. My first non-start in F1, which is sad. And even worse, that it's a double do-not-start with Oscar as well. So, yeah, not the best day for us.”
©McLaren
Despite the problem appearing terminal, Norris still climbed into the cockpit while mechanics continued trying to revive the car.
“They were trying to [fix the car], so you never knew,” he explained. “We even stayed in for the first couple of laps, just in case there was a red or something, and luck turned our way.
“But it didn't, it was just, we'd rather be ready to go in case something magically appeared and started working. But not today.”
Piastri: ‘These kinds of things happen in racing’
Piastri’s problem struck at the worst possible moment, after the Australian had already reached the grid.
“It was all fine on the way to the grid,” he revealed. “I think similar, an electrical issue on the power unit, which I think was the same for Lando, but it's not the same electrical issue.
“So, yeah, that is obviously disappointing, but it is what it is.”
©McLaren
The incident marked the second consecutive race Piastri has failed to start, following his crash before the grid at the Australian Grand Prix, meaning the Aussie has yet to complete a single race lap this season.
“It's been a while since I've watched two grands prix on TV,” he joked. “Obviously, you know, this one is a bit different. You know, last week was pretty rough to take.
“This one… unfortunately, these kinds of things happen in racing at times, and especially at the beginning of a new regulation, it's probably not a huge surprise. So, yeah, just a shame that it's happened to both cars at the same time.”
Frustration and Disappointment in the Garage
For Norris, the disappointment extended beyond his own race that never was.
“I mean, I'm just disappointed, that's all,” he said. “I'm disappointed I didn't get to go and do my job today. I'm frustrated for the whole team, it's not just me.
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Chinese GP: Antonelli gets it done, for Mercedes and Italy!“Of course, I love the mechanics, everyone puts a lot of work into things, and it's just a complicated bit of kit. There's a lot of new things, and of course some new issues that we're still finding out at times.
“For everyone in the garage, they're disappointed. We couldn't get the car out on track today, and they'll work hard to try and fix it.”
The setback marked the first time since the infamous 2005 United States Grand Prix that both McLaren cars were unable to start a race – a statistic that underlined just how rare, and worrying, Sunday’s failure was for the team.
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