McLaren has revealed that drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri suffered two different errors in the batteries provided by Mercedes HPP, which prevented them from starting the Chinese Grand Prix.
Two weeks ago, the team experienced a disastrous Sunday in Shanghai. Norris could not reach the starting grid due to an electronic problem associated with the power unit. Shortly thereafter, Piastri experienced a similar incident, his vehicle was withdrawn from the track, resulting in the double non-participation of the drivers.
After the race, team principal Andrea Stella described the coincidence of problems as “truly exceptional”, as they affected the same component of the power unit at the same time.
Following a more detailed investigation by Mercedes HPP, it was discovered that the issues were of a different nature. Norris’s battery had a software error that rendered it unusable, and it is considered that it should be retired from its pool of components, as it is permanently damaged. In contrast, Piastri’s battery was affected by a hardware problem in an auxiliary component, which, after repair, could continue functioning.
Norris’s battery failure may have long-term consequences, as he has lost one of the three batteries available for the season. Drivers normally have only two batteries per season, but this year they are allowed an additional component to adapt to the new regulations.
Norris expressed his frustration before the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, acknowledging that the situation harmed the team’s image: “What hurts the most is that it was out of our control. We have worked with HPP to understand how and why it happened, and we will do everything we can to prevent this situation from happening again. It’s a lesson we need to learn,” he added.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
