According to Autosport, Audi is facing a distinct engine limitation as drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg acknowledge their power unit struggles in extreme heat. On paper, the Marina Bay Street Circuit should suit the team led by Allan McNish because it is less power-sensitive than other venues on the Formula 1 calendar. But that rule of thumb does not quite apply in Asia.
Temperatures are a genuine headache. With the FIA issuing a heat hazard declaration for the Singapore Grand Prix forecasting temperatures of 31 degrees Celsius or higher, Hulkenberg expects another tough weekend following similar struggles in Malaysia. "I think we have to be cautious and careful," Hulkenberg said during his Thursday media session. "I think Malaysia brought some new things to light and these climatic conditions are not so favourable for our PU at the moment. We definitely had some struggles on that side and obviously here it's more of the same."
Well, we concluded that it worked. It worked pretty OK, like we expected,
When asked if cooling requirements forced the team to open up bodywork and sacrifice aerodynamic performance, Hulkenberg clarified the root cause. "No, I think we suffer from power," the German said, noting that his personal expectations are not too high for the moment. Team-mate Bortoleto shared that assessment directly when asked about the heat by Autosport, calling it their biggest limitation in recent races. "We just need to make some more steps to improve drivability, the situations of the climatisation that you were mentioning, and yeah, that's it," Bortoleto stated.
Despite the hurdles of their first season, Bortoleto remains fully confident that Audi will eventually become the benchmark in F1 engine performance. That trust is rooted in the manufacturer's glorious history in DTM and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. "If I trust them? Absolutely. I think they can fix it. These people in Neuburg have built the best engines in other series that they have taken part in in the past, and I have no doubts they're going to do the same in Formula 1," Bortoleto said.
Away from the power unit, the German-Swiss squad has finally found answers regarding the major upgrade package first introduced at the Baku City Circuit. Because Baku featured mostly 90-degree corners, it failed to provide a clear picture, but back-to-back tests in Malaysia confirmed real progress. "Well, we concluded that it worked. It worked pretty OK, like we expected," Bortoleto noted, adding that they made a good step across entry, mid, and exit phases in corners.
Hulkenberg echoed that growing confidence in understanding the new parts. "Yes, we are for sure closer," Hulkenberg confirmed when asked by Autosport. "The understanding obviously grows and builds with every session you do. You do different setup variations, you scan the delta to map, and in general you build your correlation between the track, the wind tunnel and CFD, so it's good."
