Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris is facing the growing possibility of an FIA grid penalty after further technical setbacks disrupted his Japanese Grand Prix weekend, compounding an already difficult start to McLaren’s 2026 campaign.
At the Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren’s early-season struggles with their Mercedes-supplied power unit once again came into sharp focus. The Woking-based outfit, which entered the year as back-to-back constructors’ champions, has found itself unable to match the pace of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team or Ferrari in the opening rounds. Consecutive one-two finishes for Mercedes in Australia and China have underlined the performance gap, while McLaren continue to battle persistent reliability concerns—particularly surrounding their energy store system.
As a customer team of Mercedes, expectations were high that McLaren would remain competitive under the sport’s new regulations. Instead, battery-related problems have plagued the team at every race weekend so far. Norris’ team-mate, Oscar Piastri, has yet to complete a full grand prix distance this season, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the papaya squad.
Suzuka proved especially frustrating for Norris. Running during Friday practice was limited after his MCL40 encountered multiple technical issues. Matters escalated ahead of final practice (FP3) when a fault with the car’s energy store (ES) system cast serious doubt over his participation. Broadcast reports suggested he was unlikely to take part at all.
However, an intensive effort from McLaren’s mechanics ensured Norris returned to the circuit with just over 20 minutes remaining in the session, courtesy of a newly installed energy store unit. While the swift repair allowed valuable track time, it may carry significant consequences.
The FIA Technical Delegate’s report confirmed that the replacement energy store is one of the three permitted under Article B8.2.2 d) of the 2026 Formula One Sporting Regulations. Crucially, this marks the third ES unit used on Norris’ car this season—the maximum allocation allowed per driver for the entire championship.
Although the change itself remains within the rules, it leaves Norris with no margin for further component failures. Any additional energy store replacement later in the season would automatically trigger a grid penalty.
For McLaren and their defending champion, the situation adds further pressure to resolve their reliability issues swiftly. With rivals capitalising on strong early momentum, the team cannot afford continued technical setbacks—especially when each additional battery failure could now come at a competitive cost on race day.