Racing
© Jonathan Borba
McLaren was forced to withdraw both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit after two separate electrical battery faults, producing a rare double did-not-start for the team.
The failures were not the same. Norris suffered permanent damage to his battery pack and will need a replacement. Piastri’s battery was repairable. After work with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, McLaren says his unit can return to service.
McLaren and Mercedes HPP ran a joint investigation into both failures. The team says it understands the root causes. It has taken remedial actions and put lessons in place to prevent a recurrence. The fixes apply across procedures and hardware choices for the short term and beyond. Both parties aim to lock out the failure paths seen in Shanghai.
Team principal Andrea Stella and senior staff stressed that the issue should not return. They pointed to McLaren’s internal culture and recent investment in people. They also highlighted closer collaboration with Mercedes HPP. That work has shaped the plan for Suzuka. The team expects a regular weekend with standard preparation and execution.
The double DNS deepened a rough opening to McLaren’s title defense. The team sits third in the constructors’ standings. Norris has scored points but trails the leaders. Piastri has yet to complete a grand prix racing lap this season. The loss of both cars on Sunday in Shanghai cost more ground and halted any chance to build rhythm.
The incident was rare for McLaren. It was the first time both cars failed to start a race since the 2005 United States Grand Prix. That timeline underlines how unusual the Shanghai outcome was for the team.
McLaren says the investigation has given it confidence to move on. Norris will run a new battery pack. Piastri’s repaired unit is eligible for reuse after checks with HPP. The team believes the measures will close off the issues that struck in China. The approach is designed to restore normal reliability through practice, qualifying, and the race.
The collaboration with Mercedes HPP will remain tight through the Suzuka weekend. McLaren says the shared work clarified how each fault emerged and how to keep car and power unit systems aligned. The team plans to apply those lessons across car build, garage routines, and power unit management so the event runs to plan.
Shanghai’s setback changes the tone of McLaren’s early season, but the response has been clear. The team has identified what failed. It has replaced and repaired what it can. It has mapped out steps it believes will stop a repeat. With that foundation, McLaren targets a clean run in Japan and a return to regular points-scoring form.