Audi has adopted a cautious stance after a shaky start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. Despite showing good pace and scoring some points, the team still faces reliability issues with the new in-house engine and poor starts. For this reason, the team’s racing director, Allan McNish, asked fans for patience and stated that the team’s performance should only be evaluated at the end of the season.
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“We also need to remember that this is the fourth race for a new team. Sauber already existed before, but there is also the integration of Audi’s power unit into this system. So, judge us at the end of the year.”
In Miami, while 10 of the 11 teams brought updates to the track, Audi only introduced minor changes, such as new front brake ducts. Even so, the car showed competitiveness in qualifying pace and was close to the points zone.
McNish revealed that a larger update package will be introduced at the Canadian GP: “Yes, we will bring it,” he said. “Canada is a very specific track, just like Monaco. (…) But we have news.”
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The director also highlighted the performance of German Nico Hulkenberg in Miami and praised the car’s performance. “The raw pace of the car [was strong] and also, when we talk about Nico [Hulkenberg], I have to say that, considering the problem he had, qualifying on the edge of Q3 was quite impressive and showed his experience.”
Even without increasing the two points scored by Gabriel Bortoleto in Australia, McNish believes that Audi’s chassis has the potential to evolve throughout the season. “But, in the end, I believe the car’s baseline performance, the chassis performance, is really very good.”
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