McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Williams’ Alexander Albon before the race
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Formula One world champion Lando Norris and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday (March 15, 2026) due to car problems.
McLaren discovered an electronics issue with Norris’s car before it was due to head out on track while Piastri’s car was then pushed off the grid and back to the garage.
Mechanics removed the floor on Norris’s car, with the team still working to resolve the problem as the grid closed for the second race of the season.
The Briton had qualified sixth, with Piastri fifth.
“We also identified an issue on Oscar’s car, which means we were unable to start the car from the grid,” said a team spokesman.
“We have now returned the car to the garage to further investigate the issue there.”
Mercedes locked out the front row with 19-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli, the youngest ever grand prix polesitter , ahead of championship-leading teammate George Russell.
Published – March 15, 2026 01:20 pm IST
