Two races. Two DNS results. One unwanted piece of Formula 1 history. Oscar Piastri's 2026 season has gone from bad to worse, with the McLaren driver becoming the first driver in F1 history to start a season with two consecutive Did Not Start results.

When the lights went out at the Shanghai International Circuit, Piastri's McLaren remained stationary in the garage. A power unit issue detected during the formation lap meant the Australian could not take the start.

This followed his DNS at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix two weeks earlier, where a fuel system problem prevented him from taking the grid in front of his home crowd.

The combination of results puts Piastri in a category of one. In Formula 1's 75-year history, no driver had ever begun a campaign with back-to-back DNS results.

While Kimi Antonelli celebrated his maiden win in China, Piastri's McLaren remained stationary in the garage—a stark contrast in fortunes for two of Formula 1's brightest young stars.

Piastri's problems began during the formation lap when telemetry data showed an anomaly in the power unit's energy store. The team instructed him to return to the pits immediately.

"We detected an issue that could have compromised safety," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained after the race. "The decision was taken to retire the car before the race began."

The diagnosis: a software glitch in the new 2026 power unit's hybrid system—a problem McLaren insists is unrelated to the fuel system issue that plagued Piastri in Australia.

The new 2026 regulations have introduced significant changes to power unit architecture, with several teams experiencing teething issues as they adapt to the revised hybrid systems.

Two weeks earlier in Melbourne, Piasti's weekend unraveled during the reconnaissance lap. A fuel pressure warning light prompted an immediate return to the pits.

With insufficient time to resolve the issue before the pit lane closed, Piastri was forced to watch from the garage as his rivals took the start. The home crowd's disappointment was palpable.

"There are no words for how I'm feeling right now," Piastri said at the time. "To not start my home grand prix... it hurts."

DNS results are rare in modern Formula 1. Reliability standards have improved dramatically over the decades, and grid penalties often mean teams opt to start from the back rather than not at all.

The last time a driver recorded multiple DNS in a single season was 2020, when both Racing Point drivers experienced mechanical failures that prevented starts. But never had a driver opened a campaign with two consecutive non-starts.

Until Piastri.

The Woking-based team is conducting a thorough investigation into both incidents. Stella emphasized that the two issues are unrelated but acknowledged the situation is unacceptable.

"We understand the gravity of the situation," Stella said. "Oscar is a talented driver, and we're failing to give him the platform to perform. We're working around the clock to ensure this doesn't continue."

McLaren has flown specialists from the Mercedes power unit division to Woking to assist with the investigation into the 2026-specification hybrid system.

After two rounds, Piastri sits dead last in the drivers' championship with zero points. Meanwhile, teammate Lando Norris has already amassed 26 points from two podium finishes.

The gap is already significant. With 24 races on the calendar, Piastri faces a mountain to climb to salvage his 2026 campaign. For the full championship picture, see our 2026 Drivers' Championship standings.

Formula 1 heads to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix on March 22-24. The iconic circuit will be a critical test for McLaren's reliability fixes.

Piastri will be hoping for third time lucky. Another DNS would extend an already unwanted record further.