With just a few days until the opening of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Audi is working to solve a critical point identified during pre-season testing in Bahrain: the performance of the team’s cars at the starts.
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According to the German portal Auto Motor und Sport, the Hinwil-based team had difficulties especially in simulating the initial moment of the races. The R26 model showed, in Sakhir, the worst start among all competitors, with behavior considered erratic in acceleration until reaching the ideal turbo pressure.
The change in technical regulations for 2026 helps explain the scenario. With the removal of the MGU-H, a component responsible for recovering energy from exhaust gases and assisting in turbo control, an old effect has returned to impact the cars: the so-called ‘turbo lag’. This is the interval between the activation of the accelerator and the effective response of the turbine, a phenomenon that affects both starts and corner exits.
In recent years, the MGU-H played a decisive role by compensating for this power lag, ensuring more linear and efficient acceleration. Without the system, teams must once again deal with natural turbo latency, which significantly alters the dynamics of starts after more than a decade.
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According to the German publication, the main concern of Audi’s engineers is precisely at this point, as the problem could compromise the start of the race for Gabriel Bortoleto and his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg. It is not yet clear whether the origin of the failure lies in physical components of the car or in the software that manages the power unit.
Despite the setback, the internal atmosphere after the tests in Bahrain is described as positive. Auto Motor und Sport points out that the cautious stance adopted in recent years by the Sauber structure has given way to an environment of renewal and optimism with the official arrival of Audi this year. There is confidence that the team can compete for positions in the midfield right at the start of the new Formula 1 era.
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