Audi came very close to placing both its cars in Q3 of the qualifying session for the Italian GP of Formula 1, with Gabriel Bortoleto finishing 11th and Nico Hulkenberg 13th. Bortoleto was just 0.001 seconds away from advancing to the final phase of the session and believes the team can fight for points in Sunday’s race.
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The Brazilian driver considered the progress shown throughout the weekend positive, especially because Monza was seen by the team as a more difficult track for the car. Even with the minimal difference to Q3, Bortoleto assessed that there was little more to extract from the equipment.
“My last fast lap was good, so it’s a shame to miss out on Q3 by such a small margin. I had a small moment with the rear at turn 8 and lost a bit of time there, but I don’t think there was much more we could extract from the car today,” he said.
Hulkenberg faced difficulties mainly in Q1, when he couldn’t find the ideal positioning to take advantage of the slipstream. The German explained that the situation improved in Q2, but the recovery came too late to allow for a greater advance: “It was a complicated qualifying session. At Monza, getting the timing and the slipstream right makes a big difference,” he added.
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Audi’s competition director, Allan McNish, acknowledged the frustration over Bortoleto’s result but highlighted that the team managed to make the most of its opportunities: “It’s obviously a bit frustrating to miss Q3 by just 0.001 seconds, but we maximized the opportunities we had and put ourselves in the best possible position,” he concluded.
The penalties applied to some drivers ahead will still allow Audi’s two cars to move up a few positions on the grid. Bortoleto sees room for a fight for points, while Hulkenberg bets on the race pace shown in recent races to try to progress during the race.
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