Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Audi delivered its strongest Friday of the 2026 Formula 1 season at Monaco, placing both Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto inside the top 10 in both practice sessions to put itself in a genuine position to turn midfield pace into points.
Hülkenberg led the way for the team in seventh in FP1 and eighth in FP2, while Bortoleto finished ninth in both sessions despite early problems in the opening hour. That left Audi as the first team behind Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren on a circuit where track position can define the weekend. The team was also evaluating a handful of upgrades across Friday running.
That matters because Audi has shown flashes of front-half pace this season without making it count on Sundays. It has not scored since the opening round in Australia, so a clean qualifying performance in Monaco carries even more weight than usual given the limited overtaking opportunities around Monte Carlo.
Bortoleto said the car still has more to offer after a disrupted start to FP1. The Audi driver said: “I think in P1 we faced a few issues, but still we managed to put the car in the top 10.” He added that FP2 was much cleaner, even if traffic delayed his soft-tyre lap, and said: “There are a lot of things we can improve and be better [at]... Even if we’re in a decent place already, there’s always a little bit we can improve.”
Audi Racing Director Allan McNish said Friday backed up a pattern the team has seen all season on low fuel. He said: “We’ve always been competitive, I would say, in Qualifying trim, qualifying just on the edge of Q3 in every race so far, so I don’t think it’s a surprise to be honest with you.” McNish added that both drivers were able to produce lap time on hard, medium and soft tyres, which he saw as both a confidence boost and proof of the underlying car. “Right now, they both have got that in the car,” he said.
Hülkenberg struck a similar note after describing the car as “immediately in the mix from the first laps of EL1.” He said the positive start only reinforced his optimism, but also pointed to the real challenge ahead in a weekend built around one lap at the limit and then “78 laps between the rails” on Sunday.
That leaves Audi with a clear opportunity overnight. Its Friday speed has put both cars within reach of Q3, and in Monaco that could finally give the team the grid position it needs to end its scoreless run.