McLaren Reveals Norris Brake Duct Scare in Austria Qualifying

McLaren has revealed it was forced to replace a brake duct on Lando Norris' car during qualifying for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix after a crack was discovered on the component.

The Woking-based team entered qualifying hoping to challenge for pole position, but Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri ultimately settled for sixth and seventh on the grid.

Team principal Andrea Stella explained that the crack initially appeared repairable with adhesive. However, the damage continued to spread once the car returned to the circuit during Q1.

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"On the brake duct, it initially looked like a crack that we could repair with some glue. We attempted it, but then when the car went for the second run in Q1, we saw that the crack was propagating despite the glue," Stella said.

McLaren then opted to replace the entire brake duct, with the mechanics racing against time to complete the work before Norris needed to return to the track.

"At some stage we decided to change it. We knew it would take around 10 minutes, so we wanted to make sure we finished the run in time to send the car back out with the new part installed," he added.

Stella also rejected suggestions that Norris needed to alter his driving style, stating the team found no evidence that aggressive kerb usage caused the failure. Instead, McLaren believes the damage may have originated during practice before worsening throughout qualifying.