McLaren F1 to hold talks with Mercedes after engine failure at Chinese GP

An edited photo of Andrea Stella looking serious and Toto Wolff grinning on a background of a McLaren in the pits — Photo: © IMAGO

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McLaren to hold talks with Mercedes after engine failure at Chinese GP

McLaren react to a troubling Sunday in Shanghai

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 17 March 2026 11:54

McLaren will hold talks with F1 power unit supplier Mercedes after a disastrous Chinese Grand Prix where neither Oscar Piastri nor Lando Norris started the race.

Norris didn't make it out of the pits and onto the grid before the pit lane exit closed ahead of Sunday's grand prix, with electrical issues preventing him from starting the race entirely.

A separate electrical issue in the power unit also saw Oscar Piastri wheeled off the grid and back to the pits, and did not start a grand prix for the second time this season.

Article continues under video

The Chinese GP marked the first time in over 20 years that McLaren failed to start a race, with Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya retiring at the end of the formation lap at the 2005 US GP.

Stella: We will review with Mercedes HPP

Speaking to the media in Shanghai, team principal Andrea Stella revealed what happened to Norris and Piastri's McLaren, and explained: "On Lando's car, in preparation for the laps to the grid, we saw that there were problems with the electrical side of the power unit. We couldn't communicate with this component. We tried to rectify the problem.

"We tried to change as many parts as possible without having to change that part specifically because it would take a long time and we couldn't have made it to the start of the race. We reprogrammed, but there was no way to fix the problem and Lando's car was simply just not being conditioned to leave the garage."

He then disclosed Piastri's issue, and added: "Once on the grid, [Piastri’s] car wouldn't fire up again in a similar manner to Lando. But actually, on Oscar's side, it was easier to diagnose the problem. And it appears to be a problem with the same power unit component on the electrical side, but a problem of a different nature."

Stella also confirmed the team would be launching a review of the issue with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, and said: "It's quite exceptional and uncharacteristic that you have 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.

"We will review together with HPP the reason for these faults and, like I've said to everyone in the team and to HPP, we go as one team."

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Norris and Piastri react to double DNS at Chinese GP

Norris and Piastri were unfortunatley onlookers for the remainder of the afternoon in Shanghai, and their double DNS will have huge repercussions on the rest of their 2026 season.

Not only will the lack of mileage prevent McLaren from understanding and improving their MCL40, but the two drivers emerged without a single point on Sunday, detrimental to any future fightback this year if the team do make gains.

Norris revealed to the media when the issue was discovered, and said: "I found out probably 20 minutes before I was meant to go out the garage. But I think they've [McLaren mechanics] 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.”

"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."

Team-mate Piastri is yet to start a grand prix in 2026, and reflected on the second instance, where he said: "It's been a while since I've watched two grands prix on TV. 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."

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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F1 McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Chinese Grand Prix Andrea Stella