Audi F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg says the team knows the direction to take for the F1 2026 season after a muted showing in last week’s Barcelona shakedown.
It comes after Audi boss Mattia Binotto admitted the team was left with a “very, very long list” of issues to resolve at the end of the first test of F1 2026.
Nico Hulkenberg: Audi F1 knows ‘the direction’ to take with R26
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Audi is preparing for its first season in F1 after completing its rebrand of the Sauber team over the winter.
Despite its major overhaul – including a switch from customer Ferrari engines to its own Audi F1 power unit – the German manufacturer was the first team to hit the track with its 2026 car on January 9.
Audi returned to Barcelona for last week’s five-day shakedown, but endured a troubled test at the former Spanish Grand Prix venue.
As reported by PlanetF1.com, only Cadillac and Aston Martin completed fewer laps than Audi’s 240.
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Gabriel Bortoleto suffered what the team confirmed was a “technical issue” on the opening morning, ruling the Brazilian driver out for the rest of the day.
Through it all, however, there are positives.
In a post to social media, Hulkenberg revealed that the Barcelona shakedown has determined the path Audi must take ahead of the remaining two tests in Bahrain next month.
“Shakedown week in Barcelona done. We know the direction. Plenty of work ahead,” Hulkenberg wrote
Binotto, the former Ferrari team principal, was appointed to the dual role of chief operating and technical officer of the Audi F1 project in the summer of 2024.
The team went on to appoint Jonathan Wheatley, the former Red Bull sporting director, as the first-ever Audi F1 team principal.
Speaking on the final day of the test, Binotto admitted that he has “never seen such a long list” of problems to solve after the Barcelona shakedown.
Asked about the team’s plan ahead of Bahrain testing, he told Formula 1: “It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of work for the entire team.
“It’s a lot of work for the drivers, for the engineers back at home, fixing all the problems – design, operational, whatever we have seen.
“So it’s really, for us, no stones unturned. All the details need to be somehow managed and need to be fixed.
“So we’ve got a very long list – a very, very long list. I’ve never seen such a long list.
“But again, I think it’s great because the team is really committed, willing to to improve and somehow come to Bahrain in a better shape.”
Reflecting on Audi’s first F1 test overall, Binotto insisted that the team is doing well considering it is at the very beginning of its F1 adventure.
He said: “First I think emotional, because it’s the very first official testing for Audi in F1.
“For us it’s the beginning of our experience as a team, as a power unit manufacturer, and I would sum up that there is a lot to learn and we are learning a lot.
“So if you look at the very first day, a lot of problems stopping us, slowing down the run plan as well.
“Some good running again [on day three].
“This morning, a few problems again, learning, but still some mileage done, some laps done, and obviously valuable data gathered for the team.
“And the more we will run, the more we learn and I think we’re really at that stage.
“I think it’s great. We are all very, very happy.
“It’s a fantastic project as we all believe it’s a project. We are all committed, but we know as well that there is for us a lot to build, a lot to grow.
“But again, these three days of running have been very, very important.
“I think we are doing well somehow for where we are in our journey.
“The reliability is always very critical, but we had several problems. Small ones, not dramatic.
“I think here again there is a lot of positives and looking forward.”
Asked what Hulkenberg and Bortoleto were saying to the team as the test unfolded, Binotto added that the latter was anxious to get some mileage under his belt following his stoppage on the opening day.
Bortoleto returned to the cockpit of the R26 on the final day and completed a further 66 laps, with Binotto declaring his running “very important” ahead of pre-Bahrain simulator sessions.
He said: “I think that Gabi is somehow happy after the running this morning.
“He couldn’t run well on the first day. Very little mileage.
“He was very anxious to have some experience on track to understand the car, the energy management, the power unit, drivability and all those matters.
“He is happy today that he could put some laps into the session.
“For me, that’s very important because now he can be back as well at the simulator with some experience, correlating what he has felt here on track compared to simulator itself, and preparing ourselves in a better manner as well for next events in Bahrain.”
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