The German team arrives in Spielberg with upgrades on both cars and the conviction that the balance will end up tipping in its favor. Bortoleto hopes to repeat the points he scored in Austria in 2025. Aron will have his second free practice appearance.
Audi faces the Austrian Grand Prix with the intention of turning into points the good performance shown in recent races, the German team arrives in Spielberg with upgrades on both R26s and the certainty of having the necessary tools to fight in the upper part of the midfield, in Monaco and Barcelona, the team showed enough pace to fight for points but failed to materialize it, a frustration that also instills confidence because it shows that the car is competitive.
Nico Hülkenberg knows the demands of the Red Bull Ring well, a short circuit, with a mountainous profile and little margin for error: "It's a short and deceptively simple circuit, there aren't many opportunities to recover from mistakes, so qualifying well is important. But what matters most is having a flawless weekend overall, three solid days without a single mistake" explained the German, who trusts that the recent events have shown that they are taking steps in the right direction in terms of performance.
Gabriel Bortoleto faces this Grand Prix with special motivation, it was in Spielberg last year where the Brazilian scored his first points in Formula 1, in a doubly successful day because his teammate also scored units: "Obviously, it's something we would love to repeat this year, I am aware of the performance we are capable of delivering and, therefore, I hope to have another opportunity to get into the top 10" said the Audi driver, who seeks to replicate that performance that gave him the confidence to keep growing.
This weekend in Styria will also be marked by Paul Aron's second scheduled appearance in free practice with the team. The young development driver will get behind the wheel of Bortoleto's R26 during the first session on Friday, according to Audi's driver lineup program. Aron was already in Barcelona, where he set the sixth-fastest time in FP1, less than a second off George Russell's best, a result that demonstrated his ability to adapt quickly to the car.
Allan McNish, Audi's race director, made clear what is at stake in this Grand Prix: "The team's achievements in all areas are reflected more consistently on track, and we want to continue taking advantage of this momentum as we approach a new series of consecutive races. Maximizing everything we can extract on track," explained the Scot, who trusts that the positive dynamic will translate into results.
Audi hopes that Austria will be the first serious opportunity to turn good intentions into championship points and continue climbing positions in the constructors' table. Confidence in the team and the car is high, and the drivers are ready to take the step forward they need.
