Lando Norris loses crucial FP3 track time at Japanese GP due to battery issue

Reigning world champion Lando Norris faces a significant setback ahead of qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix after a battery issue stranded his McLaren in the garage for most of the final practice session. The team and engine partner Mercedes HPP are rushing to replace the faulty component, but the lost track time could impact his setup and qualifying preparation at the technical Suzuka circuit.

Why it matters:

Losing valuable track time during FP3 is a major blow for any driver, but especially for a title contender at a demanding circuit like Suzuka. This session is critical for dialing in the car's final setup and gathering data on tire performance ahead of qualifying. For Norris and McLaren, this compounds reliability concerns following a disastrous double DNS (Did Not Start) in China just one week ago due to electronic power unit issues.

The Details:

• The issue was identified as a faulty battery on Norris's Mercedes-powered MCL38, requiring a full replacement by the Mercedes HPP (High Performance Powertrains) unit.
• McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirmed the problem, stating, "It is a battery issue. Mercedes HPP is replacing that now. The team is going to have to push pretty hard, because it takes a while."
• While there was a slim chance Norris could get out before the end of the session, Brown acknowledged he would "definitely lose a lot of the session."
• When asked if this was related to the problems that sidelined both cars in Shanghai, Brown noted it was a battery problem but was not yet briefed on whether it was "the identical issue or not."

What's next:

All eyes will be on McLaren's garage to see if the repair is completed in time for qualifying. The lost running puts pressure on Norris and his engineering team to extrapolate setup data from his limited FP2 running and his teammate's data. This incident will intensify scrutiny on the reliability of the McLaren-Mercedes package as the team seeks to recover from the zero-point weekend in China and maintain its challenge at the front of the grid.