Audi heads to Budapest for the final race before the Formula One summer break, aiming to continue its recent run of form. The team has secured back-to-back top-ten finishes, providing clear evidence of progress after a challenging start to the 2026 season.
Racing Director Allan McNish is pushing the team for another strong result at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He emphasised the need to maintain momentum and end the first half of the season with another points-scoring performance.
‘The recent races have shown the progress our team has been making, and it’s encouraging to see that translated into concrete results,’ McNish stated. ‘Back-to-back points finishes are a reward for the work going on across all three of our sites, but they also motivate us to keep working hard.’
The team’s recent success includes an eighth-place finish for Gabriel Bortoleto at the British Grand Prix, which he replicated at the subsequent Belgian Grand Prix. These results mark a turning point after a difficult opening phase of the season which saw several non-starts and reliability issues.
Nico Hülkenberg, who partners Bortoleto, has also shown potential but was forced to retire with a gearbox problem at Silverstone while contending for a top-ten finish. Despite the setback, the team has been consistently competing at the front of the midfield.
McNish acknowledged the opportunity the Hungaroring presents before the mandatory shutdown. ‘The Hungaroring gives us another opportunity to build on that progress and wrap up the first part of the season with another solid performance,’ he added.
Driver Nico Hülkenberg noted the importance of a clean weekend in Hungary. ‘The Hungaroring is a completely different type of circuit, and if we can get the car into a good window from the beginning and avoid the issues that have cost us recently, we should be in a good position,’ he said.
Gabriel Bortoleto shared the sentiment, highlighting the positive effect of the recent results. ‘Scoring points over the last two races gave everyone a real boost, and that’s something we want to keep building on,’ the Brazilian commented.
