David Coulthard Warns of McLaren Exodus as Oscar Piastri’s "Grid Joke" Precedes Double DNS Disaster

David Coulthard warns McLaren could lose Piastri and Norris after a "dismal" Chinese GP where neither car started due to Mercedes engine issues.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 5:06 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PlanetF1

A Cruel Twist of Irony for Piastri

The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix proved to be a psychological low point for Oscar Piastri, who is still waiting to take his first race start of the season. In a moment of tragic irony captured by David Coulthard on the Up To Speed podcast, Piastri had joked while walking away from the grid for a brief break, "Well, at least I’ve made the grid this time." By the time the young Australian returned, his MCL40 had been pushed back into the garage. While Lando Norris’s car failed to even leave the pits, Piastri’s brief appearance on the asphalt served only to highlight the "dismal" state of McLaren’s current technical package.

The Mercedes Power Unit Blame Game

The root of McLaren’s failure in Shanghai has been traced to critical electrical faults within the Mercedes-Benz power units. This serves as a bitter blow for the Woking-based squad, which had expressed optimism about "progress" earlier in the weekend following a tense standoff in Melbourne over a perceived lack of information sharing from Mercedes HPP. Coulthard noted that the "wheels have truly come off the wagon," as the team’s reliance on an external engine supplier has left them vulnerable and pointing fingers at the very manufacturer currently dominating the front of the grid with its own works team.

Coulthard’s "Light Bulb" Warning to Management

Using a blunt analogy to describe the cutthroat nature of the paddock, Coulthard warned that drivers are like "light bulbs" who can be unscrewed the moment they stop shining—but noted that the reverse is also true. He suggested that both Piastri and Norris will inevitably be asking "a lot of questions" about where their best opportunities lie if McLaren cannot provide a car capable of finishing, let alone starting, a Grand Prix. The implication is clear: McLaren’s star duo may not remain loyal if the team's transition into the 2026 regulations continues to be defined by unreliability.