Audi heartbreak at the Red Bull Ring
It is a cruel game sometimes, and for Gabriel Bortoleto, it was another case of so close yet so far at the Austrian Grand Prix. Bringing his Audi home in P11, he was left on the doorstep of the points for the third race in a row. He started on soft tyres, a bold tactical move he shared only with Williams's Carlos Sainz, and managed to clear Pierre Gasly early on. Yet, despite delivering what he called “the best race I could,” the pace of the Racing Bulls proved just enough to keep him out of the top ten.
His teammate Nico Hulkenberg had a similarly frustrating afternoon, crossing the line in P12. The team had pinned their hopes on new aerodynamic upgrades at the Red Bull Ring, and while those parts seemed to function as intended, the lack of a clean track position hindered their progress. Hulkenberg felt the squeeze of traffic during his late-stop strategy, noting that following other cars proved nearly impossible on the tight exits.
There is no time to dwell on the result, though. The squad now turns its attention to the British Grand Prix on July 3-5. Hulkenberg, who captured a maiden podium at Silverstone last season, is already looking forward to the fast, flowing nature of the circuit and the unpredictable British weather.
