McLaren Drivers Sidelined in China by Battery Failures

McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were sidelined from the Chinese Grand Prix last month when separate battery failures in their Mercedes-powered cars prevented both from taking the start, marking a rare double non-starter for the defending champions at the Shanghai International Circuit.

The incident unfolded on race day as mechanics identified an electrical problem with Norris's car during startup preparations. Shortly before the formation lap, Piastri's vehicle encountered a similar issue on the grid, forcing it to be wheeled back to the pits. Team principal Andrea Stella described the situation at the time as "quite exceptional," noting that the team had faced "two terminal problems pretty much at the same time on the same component, which in this case is on the electrical side of the power unit."

A joint investigation by McLaren and Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) revealed distinct causes for the failures. Norris's battery suffered a software malfunction that rendered it unusable, leading to its permanent removal from his allocation for the season. Under 2026 regulations, which introduce a 50-50 split between electrical and combustion power alongside new...