SHANGHAI (AP) — Formula 1 champion Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri were both unable to start the Chinese Grand Prix after hitting technical problems minutes before the race began.
Piastri was due to start fifth and Norris sixth for Sunday's race. Norris was in his car in the pits but didn't leave for the grid, before Piastri was then withdrawn from the grid following a radio message which indicated an electrical issue.
“Unfortunately we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP, with Oscar’s being removed from the grid shortly before the formation lap. We will now work to identify each issue,” McLaren said.
It's the second time Piastri has failed to start in 2026 after he crashed before the start of last week's race in Australia.
Kimi Antonelli was seeking to convert his record-breaking pole position into a first career win but will have to stay ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Antonelli became the youngest driver to qualify on pole position for an F1 Grand Prix race Saturday. The 19-year-old Italian starts on the front row alongside Russell, who recovered from technical problems to post the second-fastest time.
They're looking to continue Mercedes dominance in F1's new era of regulations after Russell won last week's Australian Grand Prix and the sprint race in China on Saturday.
Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari briefly got ahead of Antonelli at the start but the Italian took the place back soon after.
F1 is racing hours after it announced next month's races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not go ahead because of the war in the Middle East.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
“Powerful, moving, and exhilarating” Read moreSongs For A New World
All are invited to attend this silent, unprogrammed meeting where we listen for the spirit o… Read moreSan Mateo Quakers
Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, is a fas… Read moreAragon High School Theatre presents "Puffs"
Join us for this fun community gathering. There will be a resource fair, music and a raffle.… Read moreBelmont Senior Showcase
Art Without An Artist: Can AI Be Considered An Artist? Read moreART WITHOUT AN ARTIST: Can AI be Considered an Artist?
Ready to dive into the world of Accessory Dwelling Units? Join us in person for a casual, in… Read moreBuild Your ADU Seminar: From Permits to Keys
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
CA Is Burning said:
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.