Audi upgrades show pace but no points in Austria

Audi left the Austrian Grand Prix without points despite what the team believed was stronger underlying pace, as Gabriel Bortoleto finished 11th and Nico Hülkenberg 12th after qualifying weaknesses again left both cars too far back at Spielberg.

That made the weekend a frustrating readout on Audi’s latest update package. The team arrived at the Red Bull Ring with changes to the underfloor, rear axle and front wing, but both drivers still fell in Q2. Bortoleto took 12th after what he called “a really incredible lap, one of the best of my career,” while Hülkenberg could do no better than 14th with a 1:07.293 on the 4.326-kilometer circuit.

Hülkenberg’s assessment after qualifying was that the upgrades had not changed Audi’s competitive position enough at this track. He said, “I don’t feel a big change. We are pretty much where we always are,” while stressing that the field remained extremely tight. He also pointed to Spielberg’s layout, with three long straights, as a poor fit for a car he said was still “a bit behind” in engine comparison, adding that the circuit suited Audi less than Barcelona.

That left Sunday defined less by a lack of race speed than by the consequences of starting in traffic. Audi ran both cars on a two-stop strategy in the heat, bringing Bortoleto in from softs on lap 17 and extending Hülkenberg’s opening medium stint to lap 21 in an attempt to create a tire advantage later on. The plan was blunted by traffic and repeated blue flags as the leaders came through.

Hülkenberg said the result did not reflect the car’s true pace. “If you start from the back, then of course it is difficult to come forward,” he said. “From what I heard, the pace in free air was really strong. I think if we can start alongside or ahead of the Racing Bulls, then we also have the possibility to keep up with them.”

The finishing order underlined the point. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad scored for Racing Bulls, while Bortoleto ended the race more than 10 seconds behind the rookie and just outside the top 10. Hülkenberg was left especially frustrated after feeling more comfortable in race trim than over one lap, saying his pace across the grand prix had been “quite strong” even if there was “no reward” for it.

Bortoleto struck a similar note, saying Audi had done all it could on a clean Sunday with few retirements or unusual opportunities ahead. He said the team had “really decent pace” through most of the race and that the package brought to Austria “worked as we expected,” but added that the Racing Bulls were simply quicker at Spielberg.

Audi racing director Allan McNish framed the weekend as progress rather than a setback. He called Austria “another important step forward for us as a team” and said Audi had been the “sixth-fastest team this weekend,” while admitting the car still lacked the qualifying performance to get ahead of the VCARBs at a track that did not suit its current strengths. The result kept Audi ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, but it also sharpened the team’s central problem: the upgrades appear to be working, yet until Audi turns that into better grid positions, its race pace may continue to go unrewarded.