P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren says the failure that took Lando Norris out of the Dutch Grand Prix was a problem on its side rather than engine supplier Mercedes’
McLaren confirmed that Lando Norris’s retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix was due to a problem on their chassis, not the Mercedes engine, which dealt a significant blow to his 2025 F1 championship aspirations. Despite running second to teammate Oscar Piastri, Norris had to stop the car due to smoke and an unusual smell, resulting in a 34-point deficit to Piastri with nine races remaining. Team principal Andrea Stella stated that the issue was on the chassis side and they will conduct a thorough review before the next race in Monza, marking the team’s first technical problem after a long streak of reliable performance. The comparison was quickly drawn to Lewis Hamilton’s engine failure in the 2016 Malaysian GP, impacting his championship battle with Nico Rosberg, which still weighs on Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. These incidents are challenging for team bosses when a driver’s title bid is affected by internal failures, leading to necessary discussions and adjustments for the remainder of the season.
