Despite a chaotic weekend, Audi manages to nearly reach the top 10. Hülkenberg saves the day, Bortoleto faces a series of troubles.
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The outcome is mixed for Audi at this 2026 Miami Grand Prix. While the German team faced a buildup of technical problems, it still manages to place a car at the doorstep of the top 10.
Nico Hülkenberg will start from 11th position, a result that is becoming almost routine at the start of this season. But given the circumstances, this performance feels like a small achievement.
Hülkenberg saves a compromised situation
The German driver’s weekend had started very badly, with a failure preventing him from starting the Sprint race. In this context, seeing his car back on track and competitive is already a success.
Grateful to his team, Hülkenberg highlights the collective effort: “Good work by the mechanics to get my car back in shape, thanks to them.”
However, he admits a lack of pure performance compared to direct competitors: “There is a big gap with the car ahead, I don’t think we had that margin.”
Contrary to what one might think, the lack of running and checks did not completely handicap the car’s behavior: “It was okay, we just had time to repair it and not to do the usual setup tests, but it was okay.”
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Gabriel Bortoleto victim of a bad streak
The situation was much more complicated for Gabriel Bortoleto. Already disqualified from the Sprint due to a technical problem, the Brazilian saw his weekend turn into a nightmare.
After dismantling and then reassembling his car in a hurry, the team could not perform the necessary checks. Result: only one fast lap… before another incident, with a fire on the left rear brake.
Clear-headed, Bortoleto sums up the situation: “We had lots and lots of problems.”
The Audi driver highlights the difficult working conditions of his team: “When you rush things like that, you can’t check many things.”
Despite everything, he prefers to focus on the collective commitment: “The team did a good job and their best.”
Hope for the race?
With a car capable of approaching the top 10 and uncertain weather in Miami, Audi can still hope to make the best of the situation.
“Tomorrow will be another day” concludes Bortoleto philosophically.
In such an unpredictable weekend, marked by incidents and changing conditions, the slightest opportunity could allow Audi to turn its difficulties… into a surprise.
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