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World champion Lando Norris’ Chinese Grand Prix was over before it started after a mechanical failure ruled him out of Sunday’s race.
Norris, who was due to start sixth, failed to make it on to the grid following an electronics problem on his McLaren.
The British team tried to rectify the issue in Norris’ garage, but they made no headway and disaster also struck for Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren.
Piastri, set to start from fifth, took his place on the grid but hr was wheeled back to the pit-lane with an electrical glitch and failed to return.
Piastri has not completed a single racing lap so far this season after he crashed on his way to the grid in Australia last Sunday.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and the Williams of Alex Albon also failed to start Sunday’s 56-lap race with mechanical problems.
Kimi Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history after George Russell was struck down by a gearbox problem in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Still, the world championship leader was restricted to just one flying lap in Shanghai after he stopped on track with mechanical gremlins in the early part of Q3.
Russell emerged from his garage with just two minutes remaining, but he could not match team-mate Antonelli’s lap with the Italian ending the session 0.222 seconds clear.
Antonelli, aged 19 years, six months and 18 days, breaks Sebastian Vettel’s 18-year record as the youngest driver to take top spot in qualifying.
