🚨 Dinghy Drivers Dominate Top Gear Legends in Furious Formula Rumble!
Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (1) McLaren MCL40 Mercedes leads Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL40 Mercedes on track during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 14, 2026 in Shanghai, China. - Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images The first year of any new Formula 1 technical regulations is typically a war of attrition, but the 2026 season so far has upended an unprecedented run of reliability in the world championship's recent seasons. Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix featured 15 race finishers out of a 22-car field.
The unique twist was that four cars failed to start due to technical issues. Even the in-race retirements were the cause of issues considered bizarre by modern standards, like Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin vibrating so violently that he lost feeling in his extremities. The chaos in Shanghai began after McLaren failed to get Lando Norris' car to the grid before the pit lane closed for pre-race ceremonies.
The team stated there was an electrical issue with the reigning world champion's Mercedes power unit. On the grid, McLaren discovered a different electrical issue with Oscar Piastri's power unit and wheeled his car back to the garage. The problems with both papaya-colored cars couldn't be fixed in time for them to make the start.
According to ESPN , the Australian became the first McLaren driver to DNS in back-to-back races since the team's founder Bruce McLaren in 1969. The British team was joined by Gabriel Bortoleto's Audi and Alex Albon's Williams, both suffering hydraulic issues. Despite the retirements, Shanghai proved to be an entertaining race with a memorable winner.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli took his maiden F1 race victory. The 19-year-old became the second youngest race winner in the championship's history, after being the youngest polesitter in history at the same race. Also, Antonelli wasn't even alive the last time an Italian won a grand prix.