Audi drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have set the same objective for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix: to pick up where the team left off before Formula 1’s summer break. Nico Hülkenberg scored points at the previous round in Hungary, and another strong weekend at Zandvoort could help Audi reduce its nine-point deficit to Haas in the Constructors’ Championship.
Formula 1 returns after a summer break lasting just under a month, with Zandvoort hosting the 12th round of the season and the opening event of the second half of the campaign. The weekend will carry additional significance because it is set to be the championship’s final visit to the Netherlands for some time, while the Dutch Grand Prix Sprint format will leave the teams with little time to rediscover their rhythm.
Audi targets more points at the Dutch Grand Prix
Audi will head to Zandvoort determined to repeat its performance from the Hungarian Grand Prix and move closer to Haas in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship. Nico Hülkenberg’s points finish at the Hungaroring reduced the gap to the American team, which currently occupies seventh place, to nine points.
The result in Hungary was Nico Hülkenberg’s only top-10 finish of the season so far. However, the improvement reflected the growing potential of the R26, with recent developments suggesting that Audi’s chassis may be more competitive than its results during the opening rounds indicated.
“Scoring points in Budapest was a great way to head into the summer break,” Nico Hülkenberg said. “Everyone has had the chance to recharge over the last few weeks and now the focus is fully on the second half of the season.”
Zandvoort also holds particular personal significance for Nico Hülkenberg because of his upbringing close to the Dutch border and the early stages of his racing career.
“Zandvoort has always been a special race for me. I grew up just across the border and started my motorsport career in the Netherlands, so I have always had a special connection with this country and its people,” Nico Hülkenberg explained.
“It is a classic, old-school circuit and the Dutch fans always create an incredible atmosphere. Knowing that this will be the final Dutch Grand Prix for a while makes it even more special. Hopefully, we can pick up where we left off in Budapest and have another positive weekend.”
Gabriel Bortoleto wants Audi to continue unlocking the R26
Although Nico Hülkenberg delivered Audi’s most recent points, the majority of the team’s total this season has come from Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian recorded both his personal best Formula 1 result and Audi’s best result of the campaign by finishing eighth at the British and Belgian Grands Prix. Gabriel Bortoleto has also narrowly missed out on points several times with 11th-place finishes.
Those performances have contributed to the impression that Audi’s pace has often been stronger than its results suggest. Gabriel Bortoleto believes the team’s growing understanding of the R26 can help it maintain its progress during the second half of the championship.
“It was nice to have a couple of weeks off to rest and recharge, but now I cannot wait to get back,” Gabriel Bortoleto said. “We have learned more and more about the car race by race, unlocking its potential, and it is important that we carry that into the second half of the season.”
The Sprint format will increase the difficulty of Audi’s task at Zandvoort. With competitive sessions beginning on Friday, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will have limited practice time in which to find an effective set-up for the circuit’s banked corners and demanding high-speed sections.
“Zandvoort is always a good challenge, and Sprint weekends always make things a little more intense from the outset, but that is how we like it,” Gabriel Bortoleto added. “The first half of the season ended on an encouraging note, and now the goal is to pick up where we left off.”
Both Audi drivers will therefore arrive at Zandvoort with the same target. After ending the first half of the season with an encouraging result in Hungary, another points finish would strengthen Audi’s momentum and place further pressure on Haas in the battle for seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.
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