McLaren boss Andrea Stella laments both cars failing to start the Chinese Grand Prix due to separate power unit electrical problems.
SHANGHAI: McLaren team principal Andrea Stella (pic) described a double failure to start the Chinese Grand Prix as “incredibly frustrating”. Both of the reigning constructors’ world champion’s cars were sidelined by technical problems before the race began at the Shanghai International Circuit.
World champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri were left in the pit lane as the race started. “We came here to go racing and today we were not in condition to do so because of technical problems,” Stella told Sky F1.
He apologised to the team, drivers, partners and fans, vowing to “regroup” before the next race in Japan. Norris was unable to leave the garage due to an electrical issue on his car’s power unit.
Stella explained they tried but could not fix the problem. Piastri’s car reached the grid but was pushed back after a different electrical fault was discovered. “They seem to be different problems and they were basically meaning that there was no way to start the race,” Stella said.
Norris called it “just frustrating”, noting it was his first DNS (did not start) in Formula One. “Tough to take, but that is racing sometimes,” the Briton told Sky Sports.
The failure compounds a terrible start to the season for McLaren. Only one car started the opening race in Melbourne after Piastri crashed on his way to the grid. Williams’ Alexander Albon and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto also failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix.
