Audi Miami nightmare: McNish admits reliability issues and explains setbacks
The Miami weekend turned into a highly difficult and unpredictable event for Audi, with the team facing a long list of technical issues throughout the Grand Prix. The squad dealt with an engine fire, a disqualification, a gearbox change, a brake fire scare, and finally a retirement caused by power unit overheating while one of the cars was preparing to take its place on the starting grid.
Both drivers were heavily affected, never truly able to complete a competitive weekend or capitalise on any expected progress. After the race, team principal Allan McNish admitted that the team is still “learning” how to manage the new power unit, while also stressing that Audi is not the only manufacturer struggling with reliability in this early phase.
“Obviously you never want to have problems, that is clear, but if you look at the bigger picture, many power unit manufacturers are facing difficulties: we are not the only ones. Even Antonelli had issues at the start and other teams are struggling with implementation. There are many areas where everyone is still trying to understand, control and optimise as much as possible.”
McNish also commented on Bortoleto’s disqualification, which came after an intake air pressure irregularity:
“It was not a factor that helped Gabi’s performance. The penalty was applied and those are the rules. We also need to improve in this area: it is a priority and an important lesson for the whole team.”
The Briton, however, was keen to dismiss the idea that this represents a systemic issue:
“No, it is not recurring, but it is still not what we need. We want reliability first, only then can we focus on development. We can, and we definitely must, improve.”
He concluded by highlighting the most frustrating aspect of the weekend:
“The most frustrating part was not having both cars on the grid on Saturday, especially considering the performance we showed. We need to work on this immediately.”
The chaotic scenes in the Audi garage during the Miami weekend shows the immense technical challenge posed by the 2026 regulations. While McNish is right to point out that reliability gremlins are affecting much of the grid, the sheer density of failures—from cooling issues to regulatory non-compliance—suggests that Audi’s integration process still has significant milestones to clear. By focusing on stabilizing the platform before chasing raw performance, the team is taking a pragmatic approach, but the pressure to deliver a “clean” weekend in Canada will be immense for the Ingolstadt brand.
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