Gabriel Bortoleto started the 2026 Formula 1 season within the points zone. In this Sunday’s (8) Australian GP, the driver crossed the finish line in ninth and also made history by taking Audi to the points in the team’s debut on the grid.
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This season, the four-ring team is one of the ‘newcomers’ in the field. But it is not essentially a start from scratch, as it took over Sauber’s operation at the end of 2025, but faced the challenge of making its own engine for this new regulation.
And at the calendar opener in Melbourne, it showed that it is on the right track. Starting with qualifying, where Gabriel managed to advance to Q3 and even with car problems, lined up in tenth place on the starting grid.
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Then, in the race, the competitor managed to maintain a good pace. Taking advantage of some virtual safety car interventions to go to the pits to change tires, he stayed during the 58 laps always close to, or within, the top 10 and scoring points.
And at the checkered flag of the first F1 race in 2026, Bortoleto finished in xx. With this, he took Audi to the points in its first race in the world’s premier motorsport category. Nico Hülkenberg didn’t even start, going to the pits after the installation lap.
Read more F1 today? Check the schedule and where to watch the 2026 Australian GP
