Lando Norris warns title defence is impossible after Monaco retirement

British driver Lando Norris retired from the Monaco Grand Prix when a Mercedes‑powered unit in his McLaren MCL40 failed completely, marking his second consecutive DNF of the 2026 season. Norris said the car suffered problems from the engine, turbo and battery and that the team was forced to bring the car in after the issue could not be resolved.

He highlighted that the reliability woes have left him 98 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli and risk further grid penalties after using three power‑unit components this season. Speaking ahead of the Barcelona Grand Prix, Norris called the title defence “impossible for the time being”, noting the lack of confidence the team can build when the car keeps breaking down.

Norris urged both McLaren and Mercedes to improve reliability quickly, warning that continued failures could jeopardise his and the team's chances to defend the 2025 drivers’ and constructors’ titles.