The 2026 Australian GP ended on 8th March, with George Russell winning, Kimi Antonelli second, and Charles Leclerc third. The Audi F1 Team drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg, both took part in the race weekend. Hülkenberg had a DNS, while Gabriel Bortoleto’s 2026 Australian GP campaign saw him finish ninth and score two points in the opening race of his second season.
A strong start to the season with Bortoleto’s 2026 F1 Australian GP campaign
At the start of the season, Gabriel Bortoleto said the Audi team had spent all winter preparing a car that could finish the first race and reach Q3. He lost a place at the start but recovered, making it a positive start to the season.
“Yeah, exactly. Very happy, very positive. The team has done an incredible job. All winter working very hard to put a car in one piece that finished the first race, got the first Q3. So yeah, it’s the start of a long journey, but extremely happy.”
He said the first race was messy with lock-ups, bad starts, slow pit stops, and virtual safety cars. Bortoleto didn’t stop at first, but later had chances to pit and was lucky that more virtual safety cars appeared. He believes there are still a lot of things to analyse, but overall, it was a good race.
“Yeah, exactly. I mean, there was a lot of messy things happening, I must say, and yeah, it’s just a crazy race. I still need to think a little bit of what happened, but the start was a messy one.
“A lot of lock-ups, a lot of very good and bad starts and dead pit stops, safety cars. It was one of the hundred, you know, that happened.
“I don’t know. I didn’t stop, but then I had other opportunities to stop later on. I was lucky as well that there were other [virtual] safety cars. So, yeah, I mean, there were many things happening and still a lot of things to analyse, but it was a great one.”
Bortoleto’s race strategy and adapting to the new regulations at the 2026 F1 Australian GP
When asked about the race and the new cars, Gabriel Bortoleto said there was still a lot to learn. He explained that he sometimes made overtakes by mistake because he had so much energy, and the other car was clipping a lot. He said racing now requires thinking ahead.
In the 2025 season, the cars and racing was more predictable, and overtakes were usually final. After making an overtake, drivers have to plan for the next few straights. The other driver might overtake them, so they may need to overtake again. This can continue until everyone’s energy levels are equal.
“It was very nice, I must say, but, you know, a lot of things to be learned still. I made overtakes that I didn’t want to make by mistake, because I had so much energy and the other car was clipping like crazy.
“So you need to think a lot when you’re racing. Last year everything was much more predictable, so as soon as you make an overtake, it was done.
“And now you make an overtake, you need to calculate the next three straights, because maybe the guy will overtake you back. Then you need to overtake him back in the other one, and it keeps going like that until everyone is in the same state of energy.”
The Audi driver also said there is still a lot to learn and that he is still getting used to the new regulations, learning more about them as the season goes on.
“So, yeah, a lot of things to be learned still. I wish I could give you more than this, but I’m still a bit confused with the regs and I’m getting to know them better while we live them.
“I think you’ll learn over time. I think you’ll learn over time, you know.”
Current state of the team and plans for the future
Gabriel Bortoleto said he wouldn’t have believed it if someone told him the team would score points and reach Q3 in their first race. The start of the season had been tough. He added that the team has managed to build a great car for the 2026 F1 season.
“If someone told me we were going to score points in our first ever race and be in Q3, man, I wouldn’t say if they were drunk or what. Because it was a bit tough at the beginning for us, you know. A lot of problems, a lot of things happening, but the team has managed to put an incredible piece of art and deliver a great result.”
He also mentioned that it was great to be fighting for points. Even though the field was much tighter in the 2025 F1 season, drivers sometimes had great qualifying laps or races and still finished outside the points. It was good to have a strong race and score points. He noted, however, that there is still more work to do to compete consistently at the front.
“I mean, it’s great to be fighting for points, you know. We know how it was last year. Even if the field was much tighter last year, sometimes you made some great racing or laps and you were outside of the points by far.
“And now to be having a great race and be on the points, it’s something great. Obviously, it’s not enjoyable to be lapped by a team still, you know, but that’s the current situation we are in.
“We’re going to be fighting and working to reduce this gap and one day be fighting with them.”
