MOTORSPORT – FORMULA One champions McLaren hope to turn past pain into future gain following the double blow of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failing to start Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Sunday was the first no-start of reigning champion Norris’s F1 career while Australian teammate Piastri has yet to complete a lap in two races this season after crashing out on his way to the grid at the opening round in Australia.
Piastri had qualified fifth and Norris sixth but both suffered problems with the electrical side of the Mercedes power unit that could not be fixed in the limited time available.
The last time McLaren had failed to start a race with either car was the infamous 2005 U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis that featured only six drivers due to Michelin tyre concerns.
“If we consider that Oscar has not been able to start a race in the start of the 2026 campaign, that’s pretty difficult for Oscar to process,” team principal Andrea Stella told reporters. “But at the same time... both remain quite positive.
“I think what we have gone through at McLaren in terms of the journey from 2023 has been such a good journey of developing a culture, a mindset, what we call internally a winner’s mindset.
“Last year, where we won the double championship... we said internally that the victory was not in Abu Dhabi, the victory was in Qatar and in Vegas for the way we withstood the difficulties. That’s where you really become a champion.”
In Qatar last November Piastri was denied a win by a strategy blunder while in Las Vegas both McLarens were disqualified for a skid plank breach after finishing second and fourth.
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