McLaren have identified the mysterious brake issue that nearly derailed Norris’ race, forcing him to drive cautiously to the finish.
McLaren has identified the issue that nearly cost Lando Norris his podium at the Chinese Grand Prix — and it came down to a serious brake problem.
The British driver managed to bring his car home in second place, but only after dramatically slowing his pace in the closing laps. According to team principal Andrea Stella, Norris was dealing with what he described as a “scary” and “nightmarish” brake failure.
“We’ve figured out the root cause,” said Stella. “I can’t share the exact details due to intellectual property, but in short, it was a leak in one of the components — not the brake line itself, but elsewhere in the system.”
Norris Coasted to Glory
The issue meant Norris had to reduce his braking force dramatically to avoid worsening the leak. “He could still brake, but very, very gently,” Stella explained. “What used to be a 100-meter braking zone became 200 meters. By the end, it was closer to 300.”
In the final laps, Norris was forced to coast into corners — lifting off the throttle early and slowing the car down gradually before applying the lightest possible brake pressure to make it through each turn.
The goal: avoid a full failure and limp the car across the line without losing position to George Russell, who was chasing in third.
“It was about managing the pressure,” Stella added. “The brake pedal was going too long, and we had to keep the peak pressure low. Lando did an amazing job adapting to that under pressure.”
Despite the stress, Norris kept his cool — and bagged a crucial second-place finish in Shanghai.
- Discover More>F1 2025: Post-China GP Breakdown & Key Stats Revealed
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates
McLaren Reveal Brake Leak Behind Norris’ China Drama
McLaren Reveal Brake Leak Behind Norris’ China Drama
