McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has asserted his belief that McLaren will avoid a repeat of the double DNS they suffered at the Chinese Grand Prix, insisting in Japan that dealing with the setback is testament to how strong the outfit is.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri endured a woeful day in Shanghai as they both suffered power unit electrical issues that prevented them from starting the race from the third row.
While the problems revealed themselves at similar times, with Norris unable to leave the garage before Piastri was wheeled back to the pits ahead of the formation lap, they had completely separate causes which have now been addressed by Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP).
“China was definitely a challenging and frustrating event for us,” Stella summarised. “Two cars not being able to take part in a Grand Prix is pretty exceptional as a situation.
“We understand the source of the problem – in both cases, it was related to the electrical side of the power unit. We had faults on the battery, but different faults at pretty much the same time of the weekend. In this sense, it’s quite exceptional.
“We have worked together with HPP to investigate the problem. I think the problem is now understood – it’s not the same, like I said, on the two batteries. On Oscar’s side we were in condition to reuse the same battery because we could apply some repairs, while on Lando’s side we needed to go on to a new battery pack.”
In the Australian driver’s case, it meant he was unable to start the Grand Prix for a second consecutive weekend after he crashed on his way to the grid in the season opener at his home event in Melbourne.
As reigning World Champions, McLaren have experienced a somewhat lacklustre start to the year and sit a distant third in the Standings, just one point ahead of Haas. However, both Stella and Norris have shared their belief that they will bounce back as they develop the car.
Asked in Japan whether there is any risk of another DNS, the team boss replied: “No. We trust 100% that HPP have put in place remedials. HPP have very high standards – when they have information to process from a fault, for sure they will execute and put in place all the necessary learnings, adaptations and actions to avoid a repeat.
“We look forward as a team and we look forward for Oscar, who has not been able to have a lap in a race this season. We want to definitely break this trend and be there.
“The way the team has reacted to the frustration of not seeing a McLaren taking part with both cars in the Grand Prix has been a way of witnessing the strength of the culture that we have in the team. This is the result of the investment in our people, in our culture, that has been going on for three years.
“We said last year that the Championship was won when we resisted adversity – Qatar, Vegas – and in a way, we have the same belief this year. I think there’s all the reasons to be encouraged looking at the future, and hopefully we’ll start to see some improvements already in the next events.”
