Audi hails "a fantastic way to start our adventure" in Formula 1

Audi's first weekend in Formula 1 will already go down in history. At the Australian Grand Prix, the German team scored its first championship points thanks to a strong performance from Gabriel Bortoleto. Qualifying tenth, without having been able to complete any laps in Q3 due to a technical problem on his carThe Brazilian delivered a focused and combative race to cross the finish line in ninth position.

"The whole team can be extremely proud."

In a race marked by several safety car periods and a relatively tight field, Gabriel Bortoleto managed the different phases of the race while maintaining a competitive pace in the midfield. His performance at the Australian Grand Prix rewards the efforts made by the entire team over the winter. “Finishing in the points in our first race as Audi and writing a page of motorsport history is something the whole team can be extremely proud of. It was a positive race that capped off a good weekend for us: the car and the power unit performed reliably throughout the day, which is a great reward for the considerable effort put in over the winter to prepare everything for the season.”

The Brazilian driver also highlighted how eventful this first race had been, particularly with the new regulations which sometimes made the race difficult to read. "The race was quite lively and sometimes a bit chaotic with the new regulations, so there's still a lot to study and better understand. But the pace was high, the communication in the garage was excellent, and the team executed the race very well."

For the champion of Formula 2 In 2024, this first result even exceeded the team's initial expectations and constitutes a solid basis for the future development of the car. “Overall, it’s probably better than we could have expected for a first weekend. This result gives us a good starting point, but we know there are still many aspects to improve. There are many races to come, and our priority now is to continue learning, developing the car, and coming back even stronger for the next events.”

Go Gabi! 👏

Points on Audi's debut as an F1 Constructor is certainly a mightily impressive performance! 💪#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/DGBCOL1Om6

- Formula 1 (@ F1) March 8, 2026

Speaking to the media, the Audi driver concluded by expressing his joy at seeing the project start on a positive note. “It’s incredible. I’m extremely happy, the team deserves it after working really hard. The car was reliable, the engine too, it’s a very good starting point. It was a really chaotic race from start to finish with a lot of things happening. It was interesting, I enjoyed myself.”

Hülkenberg out: "Nobody wanted this after a positive weekend"

In the other half of the garage, the race unfortunately never started for Nico HulkenbergQualifying eleventh and well placed to aim for points, the German encountered a technical problem during the formation laps, preventing the team from resolving the situation in time for the start. “Unfortunately, we were unable to participate in today’s race. We encountered a technical issue on our way to the starting grid, and we were unable to resolve it in time. The team is currently investigating to understand exactly what happened. It’s obviously frustrating to miss the race and the opportunity to learn more.”

Nico Hülkenberg detailed the moment when the situation became complicated on the grid. “We’re not sure what happened; there was a technical issue during the formation laps. I made it to the grid, but then we had a problem that we couldn’t resolve quickly. We’re analyzing the whole car to understand what happened. It’s a real shame not to start and to lose laps that would have allowed us to learn a lot. It’s frustrating for the team; nobody wanted this after a positive weekend so far.”

Despite the frustration, the German driver prefers to focus on the result achieved by his teammate and the good overall level shown by the team during this Australian Grand Prix. “That said, it’s positive to see the team finish with points thanks to Gabi [Bortoleto], which is an excellent result and a great way to start the F1 era for Audi. Racing evolves quickly, so we get back to work and we’ll be back next week.”

"This is a historic moment."

Team director Jonathan Wheatley praised the performance of his youngest driver, believing that the Brazilian had perfectly managed his first race in Audi colors. “Gabi [Bortoleto] rode an exceptional race today. He showed great maturity from start to finish. The start wasn't ideal, which we anticipated could be a challenge here, but he kept his composure, managed the race remarkably well, and displayed great confidence throughout.”

The team had also attempted an aggressive strategy in the final laps. “We opted for an aggressive strategy at the end of the race, with the final pit stop, in order to try and put pressure on the cars in front. With a slightly different scenario in the last few laps, we could even have had the opportunity to fight for 8th place.”

Despite the premature retirement of his German driver, the Audi boss insisted on the symbolic significance of this first result. “Ultimately, finishing our first Grand Prix in 9th place and scoring points is a fantastic way to start our adventure. It’s a historic moment for the Audi team and the whole team can be very proud.” Audi therefore leaves this Australian Grand Prix with its first two points in Formula 1 and a solid base for the rest of the championship, with the objective of continuing this progress from the next round in Shanghai, from March 13 to 15.

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