Audi eyeing 'fundamentals' after early Barcelona test concerns

Audi technical director James Key has asserted the team is focused on getting its fundamentals in shape before the Barcelona shakedown comes to a close.

The German manufacturer made its on-track debut on Monday at the test but was limited to less than 30 laps due to a mechanical concern.

Audi returned to the circuit on Wednesday but Nico Hulkenberg ground to a halt at the start of his run before returning later on to rack up 68 laps.

Key asserted Audi is placing no focus on lap times as he asserted gathering data with the new power unit is its primary point of concentration.

“This test is a prove-out test of a very new car for everyone, but particularly for us, with a very new power unit as well,” he said.

“This is all about reliability and getting the fundamentals figured out.

“On that basis, although we had a little bit of delay - or quite a bit of delay in the end on the first day, for various reasons, which are all fixable.

“But this is why we test, we don't want to be discovering this in Melbourne. [Wednesday] has shown some better progress.”

Key downplayed the significance of Audi's second mechanical issue on Wednesday, insisting it was nothing more than a standard hydraulic leak.

“So a little delay [in the] morning was a hydraulic leak, a real basic thing,” he said.

“In the afternoon, we got back on track and we've done a lot of laps, so a step forward.”