Audi heads into the summer break eighth on 12 points, a humbling start for a manufacturer targeting championships by 2030. The German giant built its first power unit in Neuburg while inheriting an underfunded Sauber chassis operation, and the growing pains are real. After scoring in Melbourne's opener, the team went nine races without points before finally cracking the top ten at Silverstone. The power unit trails Mercedes on deployment and raw power, while abysmal race starts and freak reliability issues—most notably gravel hitting Hulkenberg's kill switch in Austria—have cost valuable track time. But power-hungry circuits like Silverstone and Spa revealed genuine midfield speed, and the Hulkenberg-Bortoleto pairing is delivering. Binotto remains satisfied with the chassis and expects the power unit to reach the top tier within two seasons. For now, Audi is building foundations, not collecting trophies.
Read the full story at Motorsport.comF1 2026 MID-SEASON GRADES: AUDI GETS OFF TO SOLID START ON WORKS DEBUT
Audi heads into the summer break eighth on 12 points, a humbling start for a manufacturer targeting championships by 2030. The German giant built its first power unit in Neuburg while inheriting an underfunded Sauber chassis operation, and the growing pains are real. After scoring in Melbourne's opener, the team went nine races without points before finally cracking the top ten at Silverstone. The power unit trails Mercedes on deployment and raw power, while abysmal race starts and freak reliability issues—most notably gravel hitting Hulkenberg's kill switch in Austria—have cost valuable track time. But power-hungry circuits like Silverstone and Spa revealed genuine midfield speed, and the Hulkenberg-Bortoleto pairing is delivering. Binotto remains satisfied with the chassis and expects the power unit to reach the top tier within two seasons. For now, Audi is building foundations, not collecting trophies.
