It was supposed to be a moment for redemption.

Oscar Piastri crashed out of his home grand prix last week, falling victim to an unfortunate combination of cold tyres, torque spike and driver error, which sent him into the walls of Albert Park before the race had even begun.

The Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday was a chance for the McLaren driver to start the 2026 anew, and why not? He’d done it before.

At the 2025 Australian Grand Prix Piastri spun off track and got stuck in the grass, sacrificing what looked like a home podium finish. The following week in Shanghai, the Australian banished his Albert Park woes and claimed the Chinese Grand Prix, putting himself firmly back in championship contention.

Unfortunately, Piastri didn’t get a chance to recreate his 2025 magic at the weekend.

Both McLarens were ruled out of the Chinese Grand Prix before the race even started, with the papaya team identifying electrical issues with their cars. Lando Norris’ car didn’t even leave the garage, while Piastri’s was wheeled off track before the formation lap.

Lando Norris watches on after McLaren’s fail to start the race. Credit: AP

“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,” the team said on social media.

“We will now work to identify each issue.”

© WA Today