Bortoleto and Hulkenberg eliminated in Q1 at Azerbaijan GP after Audi upgrade underperforms

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Audi arrived in Azerbaijan with a significant aero upgrade package for its R26 cars, but the early promise did not translate into qualifying progress as both Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg were eliminated in Q1. In Baku, the duo finished P17 and P18 respectively, a result that stood out for a team that has regularly placed at least one car in the top 10 in Qualifying earlier in the season.

Speaking after the session, Bortoleto said he could not immediately pinpoint the cause of the weekend’s pace issues. He suggested the car struggled with grip across the whole running and added that while the Azerbaijan layout includes a long main straight that may not highlight every aspect of the R26’s strengths, the team had shown competitiveness at Monza earlier in the month. “I think there are many things,” he said, arguing that the problem went beyond just power unit considerations.

Bortoleto also described how the team had remained close to the margins all weekend. He said he was “always on the edge of going out in Q1” and noted that, beyond the usual knock-on effects of missing grip, the pattern of reduced performance meant the cars were not generating the lap times needed to reach the later stages.

Hulkenberg’s Q1 elimination, according to his account, was shaped more by qualifying circumstances than outright pace. He pointed to a yellow flag in Turn 15 followed by an aborted run ahead, which meant he lacked a tow from Turn 16 to the line—something he said is particularly damaging at Baku. He insisted the upgrade package still has upside and said the team expects to learn and optimize further in the coming weeks.

Both drivers referenced the difficulty of judging changes in Baku’s conditions. Hulkenberg added that wind and Baku’s demanding characteristics made the situation harder to read in real time, while Bortoleto said the package appeared to work but that the overall picture still needed to be understood as the weekend unfolded.