Bortoleto and Hulkenberg ready for ‘long road ahead’ at Audi

Audi is making significant strides towards its highly anticipated 2026 F1 debut, having taken over the Kick Sauber team and developing its own power unit. Drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg offered insights from recent shakedowns in Barcelona and Bahrain. Bortoleto described the project as "teaching a baby how to walk," acknowledging the vast learning curve for the new team, car, and power unit. Hülkenberg, encouraged by progress between tests, noted significant improvements in performance and reliability. Both drivers highlighted the immense amount of work still ahead but remain optimistic about unlocking the car's full potential as they fine-tune the innovative Audi package.