Audi left the qualifying session for the Monaco Formula 1 GP with the feeling that they could have achieved a much better result. After showing competitive pace throughout the weekend, the team saw Gabriel Bortoleto abandon his chances still in Q1, after crashing alone into the barrier, and Nico Hulkenberg finish only in 13th position on the grid.
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The performance fell short of the team’s expectations, which had consistently been among the top ten in free practice sessions. For the team’s competition director, Allan McNish, the final result did not reflect the potential shown by the two cars throughout the weekend on the streets of the principality.
Bortoleto’s participation was cut short after he touched the wall at the entrance to the Swimming Pool chicane during Q1. The impact caused damage to the suspension and immediately ended his session. The Brazilian admitted responsibility for the accident and regretted not being able to transform the previously demonstrated performance into a more competitive grid position.
“I apologize to the team because they did an incredible job all weekend and deserved to see our car in the top ten. We had the pace to fight for a top 10 spot, but I took too many risks in Q1 and touched the wall,” said the Brazilian driver, who will start in 16th position.
Bortoleto also acknowledged that the error occurred too early in the session: “It’s the kind of mistake that can be understandable in Q3, when you’re on the limit, but not so early in the session. We knew that the starting position would be crucial in Monaco,” he added.
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On the other side of the garage, Hulkenberg advanced to Q2 after finishing Q1 in sixth place, but could not repeat the performance later in the session. The German pointed to problems such as track traffic and car damage as factors that hindered his pursuit of a better position.
“I am disappointed with the result. Things looked much more promising before the qualifying session. We had bad luck with traffic on the final lap and also carried some damage to the car. We expected to be more competitive and now we need to understand exactly how much that affected us,” concluded Hulkenberg.
Even with the unfavorable scenario, Audi and its drivers remain hopeful of taking advantage of opportunities during the race. McNish emphasized that Monaco usually punishes any small mistake and stated that the team needs to focus on maximizing the chances that arise. Bortoleto and Hulkenberg also highlighted that the pace shown throughout the weekend can help the team regain ground in Sunday’s race.
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