Audi confirmed the R26’s improving performance at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, securing a third consecutive points-scoring finish before the Formula 1 summer break. Nico Hulkenberg claimed his first points of the season by finishing ninth, while Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly missed the top 10 after ending the race less than a second behind Arvid Lindblad.
There is still considerable work ahead, but the R26’s step forward is becoming increasingly evident. From Zandvoort onwards, Audi will be expected not only to repeat its Budapest result but to improve upon it, giving Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto a more consistent presence inside the top 10 and allowing the German team to fight more closely with its direct rivals.
Audi R26 progress rewarded with Nico Hulkenberg’s first points
After a difficult period, Nico Hulkenberg was delighted to secure ninth place and finally open his account in the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ standings.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to have finally scored our first points of the season. There have been a few races this year where we had the pace to score points, but for various reasons things didn’t go as we had hoped. We always knew the potential was there, so it’s really rewarding to have finally put everything together over the weekend and come away with the reward,” Nico Hulkenberg said.
“We maximised our potential in qualifying yesterday and backed that up with an excellent race today. Everyone delivered a great performance throughout the weekend, and it’s rewarding to head into the summer break with points on the board. We’ll take the opportunity to reset, analyse everything we’ve learned during the first part of the season and return ready to build on these results at Zandvoort.”
Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly misses the Hungarian GP points
Gabriel Bortoleto’s points-scoring streak came to an end in Budapest. The Brazilian fought for another top-10 finish but was unable to complete the one-stop strategy inside the points, with the hard tyres proving particularly difficult to manage compared with the soft compound.
“I gave everything today, and it certainly wasn’t an easy race. We tried to make the one-stop strategy work, and with the hard tyres proving to be quite a difficult compound compared with the softs, I had a lot to manage during the race. But in the end, I finished less than a second behind Arvid Lindblad, so coming that close to the points feels like a good result considering the race we had,” Gabriel Bortoleto admitted.
“These are very positive signs heading into the summer break. The team is doing an incredible job, and I’m very happy with what we’ve achieved so far this season. I hope we can maintain this momentum during the second half of the year.”
Audi will now use the summer shutdown to review the lessons from the opening half of the campaign before Formula 1 returns for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. After three consecutive points-scoring appearances, the challenge will be to turn the R26’s recent improvement into regular top-10 finishes for both drivers.
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