Why Allan McNish thinks Austria was the best weekend so far for Audi

It is hard to believe, but finishing P11 and P12 actually marks the high point of the season for Audi. While the points drought continues, Racing Director Allan McNish is adamant that the performance of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg at the Red Bull Ring was their most complete display yet. In a race where zero retirements occurred ahead of them, the R26 machines ran flawlessly, finally delivering the results expected from their latest aero upgrade package.

This is a brutal power unit track—a massive disadvantage for Audi, given the team acknowledges a deficit benchmarked at one second a lap by Team Principal Mattia Binotto. Yet, the team held their own in the midfield, yielding only to the Racing Bulls. McNish praised both drivers for extracting the absolute maximum from the cars, noting that the tight finishing gap proved there was nothing left to give.

Crucially, the team finally conquered their Achilles heel: the start. After months of technical struggles, the drivers executed their best launches of the year. With the car running like clockwork, McNish is now looking toward Silverstone with real optimism, expecting a layout that plays much closer to their strengths than the power-hungry Austrian circuit.