The first Formula 1 race for the German giant delivered the first championship points for Gabriel Bortoleto.
The beginning of Audi’s story in Formula 1 has been more than respectable. A few reliability issues characterized the Australian Grand Prix weekend, but Gabriel Bortoleto managed to reach Q3 in Saturday’s qualifying session and brought the R26 home in ninth place on Sunday. Two championship points earned through hard work and an excellent weekend execution by the Brazilian driver.
Since the distant announcement of the entry into the top category in 2022 during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, many things have changed within the former Sauber team. New faces, new strategies, and a completely new technical regulation to interpret have reshaped the project. For this reason, the final result achieved by Bortoleto in Australia represents an unexpected confirmation of the overall quality of the package developed by the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer.
A clear demonstration from Audi: the performance is there
Already from Friday, the atmosphere inside the Audi garage was filled with optimism. The pressure on the team is not particularly high because at the first race of a new era almost everything is forgivable. Moreover, the pre-season tests in Bahrain had already suggested that the R26 could be a solid midfield car with a satisfying chassis. These were the elements that allowed the team to approach the opening round with a confident attitude.
The final result ultimately rewarded the positive environment created within the group. The in-house power unit provided excellent speed, while the good sensations regarding both the chassis and the aerodynamic package were confirmed on track. The two drivers completed qualifying exactly in the middle of the standings, finishing tenth and eleventh respectively.
Unfortunately, only Gabriel Bortoleto was able to take part in Sunday’s race, but he still managed to battle with Oliver Bearman and Arvid Lindblad for seventh place. In the end, it was the Haas driver who had the upper hand. Nevertheless, Gabriel Bortoleto finished not far from being the first driver behind the established top teams: Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren.
Audi project: speed yes, reliability no
The opening round of the championship also revealed another side of the coin for Audi. The team’s second driver, Nico Hülkenberg, did not take part in the Australian Grand Prix due to a problem on his car that has still not been fully identified. The most credible hypothesis points to a malfunction involving the six-cylinder engine.
Saturday had already been marked by a reliability concern. Despite the excellent achievement of reaching Q3, Gabriel Bortoleto’s R26 suffered a transmission problem that prevented him from taking part in the final segment of qualifying.
At the beginning of a completely new project, it is more than normal to encounter this type of issue, especially when it comes to the power unit and gearbox components. Even Red Bull was forced to retire Isack Hadjar during Sunday’s race due to a problem with the Red Bull-Ford power unit. However, it is important to be prepared for this kind of unexpected situation, because reliability will be a central theme throughout this season.
The Audi Revolut F1 Team demonstrated during the first race weekend of the 2026 Formula 1 season that it has the credentials to compete in the championship. By solving as many reliability issues as possible and bringing a few well-targeted upgrade packages in the upcoming races, Audi could become a leader of the midfield.
That would represent the first step in a longer-term journey aimed at eventually projecting the German manufacturer toward the very top of the Formula 1 grid.
Audi’s debut in Melbourne has proven that the German giant is not here just to make up the numbers, with Gabriel Bortoleto delivering a mature performance to secure their first points. While Nico Hülkenberg’s technical DNS serves as a reminder of the steep learning curve ahead, the R26’s fundamental pace suggests that Audi is already a serious threat to the established midfield order.
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