Gabriel Bortoleto signals Audi 'truth' after years-long F1 project

Gabriel Bortoleto believes Audi has produced a "very strong" first chassis in F1, as he explained the work that must be done on the engine.

The Brazilian scored points for the team on its debut in Australia, with ninth place, the only points scored thus far for the Hinwil-based concern. 

Bortoleto has finished 11th in Monaco and Barcelona, whilst team-mate Nico Hulkenberg took the place in China and Japan. 

Hulkenberg also finished ninth on the road in Monaco before a 10-second time penalty dropped him out of the points, and was also running in the points behind Liam Lawson in Barcelona before the Racing Bulls driver kicked up a gravel stone, which freakishly hit the ERS kill switch, robbing the German of a first points finish of the season, with Lawson finishing in eighth. 

Reflecting on the journey of the team thus far, which signalled its intention to enter F1 for 2026 at the 2022 Belgian GP, Bortoleto explained that whilst the R26 chassis was not a "championship-winner", it was strong, but that additional work was needed to boost engine performance.

"I think it's clear that we have a chassis that is very strong," Bortoleto told media, including RacingNews365. 

"It's not a championship-winning chassis yet; we don't have that car yet that, if we had a great engine in it, we would have been able to win races, but we have a chassis that is very competitive today. 

"It's clear also from the ADUO that we have a deficit on the engine. It's clear that we are losing quite a lot per lap. 

"I think Mattia [Binotto] already mentioned in the past more than a second, depending on the track per lap, and this is not an exaggeration. 

"This is the truth about where we are standing, and it's normal, because it's the first season of our engine. 

"We develop everything in-house with people who have been in Audi for many years now. 

"So, yeah, I think that the place where we have the most margin to improve is definitely the engine."