McLaren to investigate 'coincidental' power unit issues after double DNS in China

McLaren suffered a disastrous Chinese Grand Prix as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start the race due to separate, unrelated electrical issues within their Mercedes power units. Team Principal Andrea Stella confirmed the team is investigating the "extremely unfortunate coincidence" with engine supplier Mercedes HPP, marking the team's first double failure to start since the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

For a team defending both drivers' and constructors' championships, every point is critical. This double zero-score is a significant setback in the early title fight, costing valuable ground to rivals like Mercedes and Ferrari. Beyond points, the failure damages momentum and represents a major operational blow for a team with high commercial and technical partner expectations.

The details:

• The issues struck at different times but affected the same general component area. Norris's car developed a problem on the electrical side of the power unit while being prepared to leave the garage.
• Piastri's car then encountered a separate electrical issue while already on the grid, sealing both cars' fate.
• Team Principal Andrea Stella emphasized the problems appeared distinct, calling it a "coincidence of two different problems... appearing at the same time."
• The team attempted fixes but found "no way" to start the race, forcing both drivers into a DNS (Did Not Start). For Piastri, it means he has yet to complete a racing lap this season after crashing out in Australia.

What's next:

McLaren's immediate focus shifts to Japan and understanding the failures.

• Stella stated the team will "investigate together with HPP" to ensure the issues do not recur.
• While lost track time for data collection is a setback, Stella identified the lost points as the most "detrimental" short-term consequence, acknowledging they "could be important at the end of the season."
• Despite the setback, Stella expressed confidence in the team's rapid learning curve, suggesting they are now in a "good position" in terms of exploiting the power units based on learnings from Australia and the China Sprint race.