Lando Norris Remains Confident in McLaren Title Defense Despite Devastating Double DNS and Points Deficit in China

Lando Norris remains confident in McLaren’s 2026 title chances despite a double DNS in China, citing the team's history of massive mid-season comebacks.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 26, 2026, 11:36 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PlanetF1

Overcoming a Historically Difficult Season Opener

The 2026 title defense for McLaren has begun with a series of significant setbacks that have left the Woking-based team trailing their primary rivals. Following a dominant 2025 campaign, the transition to overbody aerodynamics and the new 50/50 power unit split has proven technically challenging. The most recent blow occurred at the Chinese Grand Prix, where both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri suffered a "double DNS" (Did Not Start). Mechanics identified an electrical fault on Norris’s car during fire-up, while Piastri’s MCL40 succumbed to a separate electrical issue just moments before the formation lap.

The Collaborative Investigation with HPP

In the buildup to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Norris confirmed that the team has been working around the clock with High Performance Powertrains (HPP) to diagnose the root causes of the failures. While the two electrical issues were unrelated, the optics of having both cars fail to start a race were described by Norris as a significant blow to the team's morale. He noted that while the situation was largely out of the drivers' control, the focus has now shifted to ensuring these specific vulnerabilities are eliminated from the MCL40's architecture before the lights go out in Japan.

Current Standings and the Points Gap

The impact of the Chinese Grand Prix, combined with Piastri’s formation lap crash in Australia, has left McLaren in a vulnerable position in the standings. The team has secured only 18 points out of a possible 76, leaving them far behind the early-season leaders. Norris currently sits in sixth place in the Drivers' Championship with 15 points, trailing championship leader George Russell by 36 points. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri has managed only three points, earned during the Shanghai Sprint, leaving him toward the bottom of the top ten.