Audi heads to Malaysia hoping Sepang will prove a better match for its Formula 1 package after a difficult weekend on the streets of Baku. The team endured one of the more disappointing performances of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, with both cars eliminated in Q1 before Nico Hülkenberg was denied a points finish almost on the finish line.
Despite the setback, Audi believes the upcoming weekend could provide an opportunity to reverse the trend. The team introduced a new upgrade package in Baku, and Sepang should offer an important opportunity to understand its benefits on a more conventional circuit.
Nico Hülkenberg believes Sepang should suit Audi better
Audi struggled for performance in Azerbaijan, with the double Q1 elimination leaving the team facing an uphill battle in the race. Nico Hülkenberg nevertheless took advantage of events around him to climb into tenth place before losing a wheel-to-wheel battle with Carlos Sainz’s Williams in the final metres of the Grand Prix.
“The Williams was very fast on the straight, and there wasn’t much I could do to stop him,” Nico Hülkenberg said after the race. “That was a bit of the story of our weekend. We lacked straight-line speed, and that makes it difficult to make progress or defend.”
Audi introduced a new development package in Baku, and the move to Sepang could provide important technical feedback as well as the possibility of a stronger competitive showing.
“We were always aware that Baku wasn’t the ideal circuit for our car at the moment, despite all the improvements we have made. In Malaysia we should be more competitive. I also believe the characteristics of the Sepang circuit suit our car much better.”
Nico Hülkenberg also highlighted the technical and physical demands awaiting the drivers in Malaysia.
“It isn’t a track characterised by spectacular corners,” the German added. “But there are some fairly technical sections that reward finding the right details. If you add the heat and humidity as well, it creates an interesting challenge. We learned new things with the new package in Baku, and now it is about building from that base and extracting more.”
Gabriel Bortoleto encouraged by Audi’s Baku upgrade
Gabriel Bortoleto shares that optimism as he also looks to bounce back in Malaysia after finishing last in Azerbaijan.
“There were some positive aspects from the new package that we introduced in Baku,” Gabriel Bortoleto said ahead of the next race weekend. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve at Sepang.”
Sepang will be a new circuit for the Brazilian, making Friday practice particularly important as he works to learn the track and understand how the Audi behaves around the Malaysian venue.
“It’s a new circuit for me, and it will be important to make the most of free practice to learn in every area, but I’m excited to get out on track. We have been close to the points in recent races, so I hope we can take another step in the right direction and get back into the fight.”
Gabriel Bortoleto is chasing his first top-ten finish since the Belgian Grand Prix.
Allan McNish sees Sepang as a better test of Audi upgrade
Audi Racing Director Allan McNish also believes Sepang should provide a clearer indication of how effective the team’s latest developments really are.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how our package performs on a more traditional circuit, which should show the benefits of our upgrades more accurately,” Allan McNish said ahead of the Malaysian weekend.
“We believe this circuit could suit us better, so the objective is to put ourselves in a stronger position and fight for points after narrowly missing out last weekend.”
After Baku exposed Audi’s straight-line speed limitations and left both cars starting towards the back, Sepang therefore represents an important opportunity to evaluate whether the new package can deliver more on a circuit the team believes is better aligned with the strengths of its car.
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