Audi is delighted with "extremely encouraging" qualifying results for its F1 debut

Audi's official entry into the world championship Formula 1 This was accompanied by a strong first signal on the grid. At the Albert Park circuit, the German team managed to place one of its cars in Q3 on its very first attempt in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto set a time of 1:20.221 in Q2, a promising result that allowed him to be among the final 10 drivers to qualify, even though he was unable to complete a timed lap in the final part of the session. Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg finished just outside the top 10 in eleventh place, completing a lap in 1:20.303.

A symbolic performance for the new team

Team director Jonathan Wheatley sees this result as the reward for collective work that began several months ago to build Audi's F1 program. “Qualifying was extremely encouraging for the team, and seeing Gabi reach Q3 in Audi’s first race is a special moment for everyone involved. It reflects the hard work that has gone into building this program and getting to this point.”

The former sporting director of Red Bull He points out, however, that both cars encountered minor setbacks during the final stages of the session. “Unfortunately, we encountered a technical issue at the end of Gabi’s final lap, which prevented him from participating in Q3, and Nico [Hülkenberg] also had a minor problem on his final lap in Q2. Overall, it’s a very positive start for the team. It’s encouraging in terms of performance and it reflects the collective work of so many talented people within the organization.”

Gabriel Bortoleto denied a lap in Q3

Qualifying for Q3 at the Australian Grand Prix could have allowed Gabriel Bortoleto to aim even higher. However, a mechanical issue during his return lap to the pits abruptly ended his session. “Midway through the in-lap, something started to give way. We still need to analyze what happened. We don’t know yet. I’m sure it’s nothing too serious. The car is still running, it’s in one piece. I almost made it back to the garage. It was a matter of meters, but I couldn’t get into the pit lane to allow the team to push me.”

"It's a real shame not to be able to take part in Q3. It would have been a just reward for the team's hard work, to be able to put on a new set of tires and see where we could have finished." Despite this frustration, the Brazilian driver mainly remembers the extent of the work done by the team to prepare for his debut in the discipline. “I’m very proud… Proud of everyone, I must say. They’ve really given their all. They’re racing against the clock to get things in place, the way they need to be, to make sure the car is the best it can be. I see good things ahead of us.”

In his overall assessment of the session, the champion of Formula 2 2024 also highlights the potential shown by the car from this first weekend of competition. “Qualifying was very positive for the team. Being in the top ten in our first race weekend as Audi is something we can all be proud of, especially considering the considerable work done over the winter to develop this car and make it competitive, and to build a new power unit from scratch.”

Nico Hülkenberg on the verge of the top 10

On the other side of the garage, Nico Hülkenberg also managed to get close to Q3 for this Australian Grand Prix. The German finished eleventh after a solid run in Q2, despite a weekend marked by several technical and strategic adjustments. “Qualifying was quite busy for us. We had to deal with a few issues right from the start, which took us a little while to find our rhythm. Eventually, I had a great opportunity to set a perfect lap in Q2 and I managed to capitalize on it, which puts us in 11th position, a good starting point. There are a lot of things to manage in the cockpit with energy management, tires, and traffic, which requires maximum concentration on every lap, but we are learning more and more with each session.”

The German veteran believes that the starting position offers an interesting basis for the race, especially as the car's behavior on long runs was encouraging on Friday. “Overall, it’s been a positive day for the team. Yesterday’s long runs were encouraging and we’re in a good position going into the race. With these new cars, there are still a lot of unknowns, so tomorrow could be quite open and we’ll try to make the most of any opportunities.”

For Audi, these first qualifying sessions represent a promising starting point. With a car already capable of fighting for a top-10 finish and two drivers well-positioned on the grid, the German team now approaches its first Australian Grand Prix with the clear objective of joining the fight for points right from its Formula 1 debut.

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