McLaren’s preparations for the upcoming campaign were dealt a setback on Tuesday morning after Stoffel Vandoorne stopped on track.
McLaren’s start to last week’s opening pre-season test was compromised when Fernando Alonso suffered a wheel nut failure, which pitched him into the gravel at the final corner.
Vandoorne was also delayed by an exhaust clip failure, which led to overheating in the rear of the car, though a mammoth lap haul on the final day facilitated progress.
However, Vandoorne had to be pushed back into the pit lane after his installation lap, and upon returning to action, managed just three more laps before halting.
Vandoorne came to a halt exiting the final corner, causing a red flag, and has not appeared in the 90 minutes since suffering the incident.
McLaren confirmed that a “power shutdown” impacted the MCL33, which meant the team lost data from the car; the incident is currently under investigation.
Mercedes, meanwhile, has surpassed 50 laps already this morning, courtesy of Valtteri Bottas.
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