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David Croft highlights anxiety for McLaren drivers amid engine issues

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 6, 2026, 10:24 AM

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

David Croft highlights anxiety for McLaren drivers amid engine issues

Summary

Before the Monaco Grand Prix, commentator David Croft expressed concerns that McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri may race with anxiety due to recent Mercedes engine problems. McLaren's season started poorly, with both drivers unable to compete in the Chinese Grand Prix and facing a strategy error in Canada. Croft noted that the retirement of George Russell's car raised worries for Mercedes' customer teams. Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord mentioned that it will take several months to analyze a faulty battery module from Russell's vehicle, adding to the uncertainty for teams relying on Mercedes power units.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Key Details

•McLaren started the season with technical issues and strategy errors.
•Both Norris and Piastri did not start in the Chinese Grand Prix.
•George Russell's car failure creates concerns for customer teams using Mercedes engines.
•Mercedes needs months to investigate the battery failure from Canada.
•Croft suggests drivers may feel anxious while racing with these known issues.

Latest Updates

10:24 AMYahoo Sports — David Croft suggests McLaren drivers will feel ‘fear’ after Mercedes engine trouble

What they're saying

"
David Croft has suggested that McLaren’s drivers may be racing under a bit of anxiety after recent issues with the Mercedes engine. McLaren’s season got off to a rocky start, highlighted by technical problems in Shanghai that kept both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from even starting the Chinese Grand Prix.
— Yahoo Sports

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