Audi Racing Director Allan McNish calls the Austrian Grand Prix their "best weekend so far," a surprising claim given the team finished P11 and P12, just outside the points for the fifth time this season. Despite the Red Bull Ring being a power-unit-dependent track where Audi knows it has a significant deficit, their R26s ran flawlessly, and a major aero upgrade package performed as expected. McNish noted Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg extracted the absolute maximum from the car, only outrun by the Racing Bulls in a race with no front-runner retirements. Encouragingly, both drivers also achieved their best starts of the year, addressing a known weakness. This performance on a less favorable circuit provides confidence. Audi now looks to Silverstone, a track McNish believes will play more to their strengths, akin to their better showing in Barcelona. The focus remains on maximizing their package while the long-term power unit development continues.
Read the full story at formula1.comWHY MCNISH THINKS AUSTRIA WAS 'BEST WEEKEND SO FAR' FOR AUDI
Audi Racing Director Allan McNish calls the Austrian Grand Prix their "best weekend so far," a surprising claim given the team finished P11 and P12, just outside the points for the fifth time this season. Despite the Red Bull Ring being a power-unit-dependent track where Audi knows it has a significant deficit, their R26s ran flawlessly, and a major aero upgrade package performed as expected. McNish noted Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg extracted the absolute maximum from the car, only outrun by the Racing Bulls in a race with no front-runner retirements. Encouragingly, both drivers also achieved their best starts of the year, addressing a known weakness. This performance on a less favorable circuit provides confidence. Audi now looks to Silverstone, a track McNish believes will play more to their strengths, akin to their better showing in Barcelona. The focus remains on maximizing their package while the long-term power unit development continues.
