The McLaren team has to watch from the sidelines during the Chinese GP. During the preparations for the start, several problems came to light for both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. For a moment there was talk of a double start from the pit lane, but eventually both drivers got out of the car. The team is now investigating where the MCL40 is falling short. In addition to the McLaren drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Alex Albon were also unable to start.
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Lando Norris was unable to leave the pit lane in time on Sunday to take his place on the starting grid. The mechanics were still working on his car in the lead-up to the race. The Brit was supposed to start from sixth position, but remained in the garage while the other drivers lined up for the formation lap. The situation became even more painful for the team when Piastri’s car was also recalled from the grid shortly afterwards. He was struggling with a different problem.
Finding the cause of the problems
“Unfortunately, we have identified separate issues with both cars that prevented them from appearing at the start of the Chinese GP,” McLaren stated via social media. “Oscar’s car was removed from the starting grid just before the warm-up lap. We will now try to identify the cause of each problem.” This is the second weekend in a row that McLaren has been hit by a setback before the start. During the season opener in Australia, fan favorite Piastri crashed on his way to the starting grid. In China, the team doesn’t even get to race at all. It is the first time since the 2005 United States GP that both McLaren drivers have been missing from the grid.
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McLaren was not the only team with problems prior to the race. Gabriel Bortoleto was also unable to start, meaning Audi brought only one car to the start for the second Grand Prix in a row. In addition, Williams confirmed that a hydraulic problem was discovered on Alex Albon’s car during the laps to the grid. Despite attempts to fix the fault, the FW48 was forced to be withdrawn, meaning he too was unable to start the race.
Read more Results GP China 2026
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