In Japan, Audi displayed solid pace but failed to capitalize at crucial moments of the weekend. The Ingolstadt team showed encouraging signs early on, but race day exposed several issues that prevented both cars from scoring points. Chief among these was the start, a problem highlighted by both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, who finished eleventh and thirteenth respectively.
Hulkenberg: “With this regulation, races are a bit of a compromise”
On Friday and Saturday, Nico Hulkenberg showed strong form, positioning himself among the top ten in both Free Practice 2 and Free Practice 3. These encouraging performances, however, were only partially reflected in qualifying, as the German driver failed to reach Q3. In the race, the situation worsened at the start, where Hulkenberg lost significant ground. “We had good pace and a realistic chance to score points, but our race was compromised by a disappointing start,” he said after the race. “Improving our race starts is something we need to focus on as a team in the coming weeks. I lost several positions on the first lap, from P13 to P19, which made things difficult from that point onward.”
Getting off to a slow start then affected the rest of the race. “Being stuck in traffic for most of the race limited our opportunities to make progress.”
Japan also highlighted the weaknesses of the 2026 regulations, drawing criticism from several drivers over the three-day weekend, including Nico Hulkenberg. “These cars are still quite challenging to drive with the current energy management and overtaking dynamics,” he said. “You can make moves, but you remain vulnerable immediately afterward, so for now it’s a bit of a compromise.”
From Audi’s perspective, while the signals so far have been generally positive, the coming weeks will be crucial to address the areas where problems arose in the first three races, both in performance and reliability. “On the positive side, completing the race and gathering lots of data was invaluable. There’s much to observe and improve, and with a month before Miami, we have time to analyze everything and come back stronger.”
Bortoleto: “We’ve struggled at starts since the first race”
In terms of results, Gabriel Bortoleto faced similar challenges, finishing thirteenth after making it into the final stage of qualifying on Saturday. “The race overall went fairly well: the Safety Car worked in our favor, as I had decided to stay out longer to avoid getting stuck behind other cars on hard tires,” he said after the race. Like his teammate, the Brazilian also suffered from start-line issues. “Our pace wasn’t too bad, though I struggled a little on the straights. What hit us the most was the start: we’ve known since the first race of the season that it’s something we need to work on, trying to get everything right without compromising Saturday’s work.”
For Gabriel Bortoleto, the focus is already on the behind-the-scenes work planned for the long April break. “With almost five weeks away from racing, we’ll keep our heads down and make the most of this period to work together and improve our car, so we can return to Miami in a better position.”
The battle for the lower points positions in 2026 is so tight that even a minor mistake at the start can be terminal for a team’s chances. As the F1 circus prepares for the Florida heat, Audi knows that their “Miami package” must include more than just aerodynamic updates—it must include a solution for their Sunday afternoon launches. If they can solve the start-line crisis, a double points finish might finally be within reach.
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