On March 8, 2026, at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, audi f1 made its works debut and Gabriel Bortoleto qualified inside the top 10. Bortoleto highlighted the unseen work behind the takeover and the new power unit built at Neuburg, while a late drive issue left him starting tenth on the grid. The result and the team’s rapid buildup — spanning Neuburg, Hinwil and the new Technical Centre in Bicester — have put the Audi project squarely in the spotlight.
Audi F1 Top-10 Shock
From the first on-track sessions the new works entry showed pace: Bortoleto matched P10 in Q1 and repeated that in Q2, only to suffer a gear engagement problem as he coasted back to the pits and miss a final Q3 run, forcing him to settle for tenth on the starting grid. His teammate Nico Hülkenberg backed him up in 11th. For audi f1, that qualifying outcome was striking given the scale of the engineering task — the manufacturer built a new power unit in Neuburg and integrated it with a chassis programme that traces to Hinwil and a new Technical Centre in Bicester.
The early performance masked remaining issues: team leadership has acknowledged there is more to do on power output and reliability. Technical director James Key praised Neuburg’s progress from no track data into a position where the unit could be run reliably, and he offered a measured optimism about the step forward for audi f1 even as work continues.
Immediate Reactions
Gabriel Bortoleto, driver, said: “I’ve been impressed by the amount of work these people have been doing behind the scenes that maybe a lot of you guys don’t know because it’s not shown. They deserve a lot of credit for a lot of the things we have been putting on track. The new power unit, the new car – we are building everything from zero. We’re a new team basically so they’ve done an impressive job I would say, and they are also conscious that there is still so much to be done. ”
On the session issue he added: “I just spent half a lap trying to engage gears. My gears were failing. The first time we had a reliability problem this weekend. Still strong, qualifying Q3 first time with Audi. I didn’t expect that. I don’t think many people did, and such a shame I couldn’t fight for more in quali, because I generally think that we had potential. ”
Nico Hülkenberg, driver, said: “Positive, very positive, actually. In Q1, we were fighting a lot of fires in my car with things that weren’t working how they’re supposed to, so it was pretty hectic and interesting. I didn’t really get a rhythm, and only really had one normal good, clean lap in Q2, which put me where I am. So, all things considered, I think we’re not in a bad spot. And I think we’re obviously competitive within the midfield. ”
Team boss Mattia Binotto has conceded the power unit is still lacking power but pointed to a cautious testing approach; James Key added praise for Neuburg’s rapid progress. Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG, framed the weekend as the start of a new chapter and emphasized teamwork and efficiency as core aims for the broader audi f1 project.
What’s Next
Off-track, the team amplified its launch in Melbourne with public activations: drivers unveiled the new Audi RS 5 at Albert Park, Audi Tradition displayed the historic Audi R8, and the team opened a public venue on the Yarra River to host guests and fans. The weekend also included a networking lunch for “Girls on Track” and engagement with local figures, reinforcing the manufacturer’s wider commitments linked to the entry.
Looking ahead to race day, team leaders have framed a finish for at least one car as a realistic immediate target and points as a clear next milestone; Audi aims to be in a position to compete for world championship titles from 2030 onward. The coming race will be a first on-track test of whether the progress attributed to Neuburg, Hinwil and Bicester can translate into race durability and results for audi f1.
