The growing pains of the new Audi project

The 2026 Formula 1 season was never going to be easy for Audi. Building a power unit from scratch while simultaneously restructuring the former Sauber organisation is an monumental task, yet their Australian debut was genuinely impressive. Gabriel Bortoleto managed to reach Q3 and score points with a ninth-place finish—a result no one in the team anticipated.

Since then, the results have been cruelly elusive. Nico Hulkenberg and Bortoleto have finished in P11 five times in six races, with the best-placed car landing in P12 during the only other outing. The misfortune is staggering. In Monaco, Hulkenberg finished ninth on the road after a brilliant recovery drive, only for a penalty following a collision with Carlos Sainz to drop him to 13th. In Spain, a stone thrown up by Liam Lawson hit the emergency kill switch, forcing him out of the race while chasing the Kiwi.

Allan McNish, who took over as Racing Director in April, admitted the frustration of watching points slip away. The core of the issue is the power unit, which Mattia Binotto has noted could be costing the team as much as a second per lap. While the hardware is homologated, the team is focused on optimising what they have.

Despite the deficit, the drivers remain measured about the long-term outlook. Hulkenberg acknowledges the car is competitive in the midfield but requires further development on the chassis and aero side. Bortoleto agrees, noting that while they have a very strong chassis, the engine deficit is significant. It is a massive project, and as they have admitted, this is simply the reality of their first season.