The first day of pre-season testing in Barcelona concluded with Audi among the teams on track: Gabriel Bortoleto shared his initial impressions of the new car. January 26, 2026, marked a historic day for Formula 1, as the first tests of cars designed under the new technical regulations got underway. Conducted behind closed doors, the day was crucial for teams and drivers to familiarize themselves with cars that are radically different from recent seasons. Audi, the newcomer to the grid, was immediately on track.
One of the highlights of the day was Gabriel Bortoleto, who drove for the Audi Revolut F1 Team. The Brazilian was the only Audi driver on track for day one, taking on the full workload planned for the German squad.
The day was not without setbacks. In the morning, Gabriel Bortoleto came to a stop on track due to a suspected electrical issue, an incident that partially limited the team’s initial programme. Despite this, the driver managed to complete 27 laps in the morning and returned to action normally in the afternoon session.
By the end of the day, Gabriel Bortoleto was eighth on the timing sheets, with a best lap of 1:25.296—a figure to be interpreted cautiously given the nature of the test, fuel loads, and the different programmes being run by each team.
What stopped Gabriel Bortoleto on day one
At the end of the day, the Brazilian reflected on his debut with the new Audi R26: “It was great to get back on track today and really get to know the R26. We managed to complete some kilometres in the morning, test a few solutions, and start understanding the car, the power unit, and how the new regulations operate,” he said.
“As expected during a shakedown, we had a couple of issues that limited our work, but that’s part of the process, and it’s exactly why we’re here. We’ve already learned a lot from the laps we’ve completed, and now the goal is to fix the issues so we can get back in the car in the coming days, complete more clean laps, and gather more data,” the Brazilian concluded, confirming the problems without going into detail.
Audi is navigating the typical “teething problems” associated with a brand-new factory entry. Gabriel Bortoleto’s debut highlights the steep learning curve required to master the new hybrid power units, where identifying electrical glitches early is far more valuable than setting fast lap times. For Audi, every lap completed by the R26 represents a victory in their long-term mission to challenge the F1 establishment.
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