Formula 1 saw Audi go through a complicated Saturday at the 2026 Miami GP. Technical problems and a disqualification marked the team’s day.
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The scenario directly impacts the strategy for the race, but also highlights the team’s ability to react, which managed to reorganize even under pressure.
In the Sprint, Nico Hülkenberg couldn’t even start after a technical problem identified still in the installation lap, which evolved into a leak and fire on the way to the grid. Gabriel Bortoleto had a good race and finished P11 on the track, but was disqualified after a technical infringement detected in the inspection.
In qualifying, the team showed resilience. After changing the power unit and gearbox, Hülkenberg returned to the track and secured 11th place on the grid, very close to advancing to Q3. Bortoleto, on the other hand, faced delays after a gearbox change and had his session compromised by a brake problem, finishing only in P22.
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Race director Allan McNish summed up the challenging scenario. “It was a very difficult day from start to finish. We had a problem with Nico’s car before the Sprint, and with Gabriel a technical infringement resulted in disqualification,” he said. He also highlighted the team’s effort to get the cars back on track despite the setbacks.
Bortoleto also regretted the day but valued the team’s work. “It was a difficult day with the disqualification in the Sprint. The team did an incredible job to get the car back on track, but when everything needs to be done in a hurry, it gets complicated,” he said. Even so, the Brazilian kept his focus on the race, emphasizing that “it is a new day” to seek recovery.
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