Mattia Binotto recognized that starts are a point that Audi needs to improve at this start of the Formula 1 season. After a Japanese GP with zero points, the team principal, who took over after the departure of Jonathan Wheatley, pointed out that it is necessary to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
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The race in Suzuka was quite complicated for the German team. When the lights went out, Gabriel Bortoleto, ninth, and Nico Hülkenberg lost positions, falling further into the middle and back of the pack. During the race, they tried to recover, but both received the checkered flag outside the points zone.
Taking stock after the race, both Nico and Gabriel recognized that the poor start compromised the entire race. “I think, with a normal and regular start, it would have been possible to score points,” said the German. “We know this is something we need to work on as a team,” lamented the Brazilian.
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And Binotto echoed the drivers’ discourse. “Definitely, this is not one of our strengths. The reason why this hasn’t been resolved yet is that it’s not something obvious that can simply be fixed.” Therefore, in the eyes of the Italian executive, resolving the issue is a “top priority, as we had a good qualifying again, and it’s no use starting in good positions if we lose all positions again at the start.”
“In a way, it’s good for us now that two races have been canceled. So far, the start of the season has been marked by quite reactive measures. Since the winter tests [pre-season], we, as a completely new team, have had to learn a lot. We had to solve reliability issues and, in fact, we didn’t even have time to think about future developments. The optimization of the start will, therefore, be one of the focuses in the coming weeks,” he concluded.
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