Welcome at RacingNews365

Become part of the largest racing community in the United Kingdom. Create your free account now!

  • Share your thoughts and opinions about F1
  • Win fantastic prizes
  • Get access to our premium content
  • Take advantage of more exclusive benefits
Sign in
Audi

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto react as Audi F1 car makes debut

The 2026 Audi F1 car hit the circuit for the first time earlier this week, the result of several years of dedicated work.

Hulkenberg Bortoleto
Article
To news overview © XPBimages

Audi's F1 drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have shared their first thoughts after the German manufacturer's car hit the track for the first time.

The R26 took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya earlier this week as Audi performed an initial shakedown of the car.

Teams are allowed to do a maximum of 200km of running with a car outside official sessions with current machinery, with Audi allocating their reserved time to the initial shakedown.

It gave Audi an opportunity to check the car's systems and assess its power unit, which has been built from scratch as part of a new regulation cycle.

Audi enter the year after taking over Sauber, with Hulkenberg and Bortoleto forming its line-up.

The duo were paired together last season at Sauber and enjoyed a healthy relationship - one that Audi hopes will continue this year.

Both drivers took to social media on Friday after the test run to express their delight over how the day unfolded.

See the posts below!

Also interesting:

The 2026 F1 Cars Revealed: Everything You Need to Know!

Discover how the 2026 F1 regulations will revolutionise the sport, with a shift to movable wings instead of traditional DRS, to the increased electrical power in the hybrid systems, and the introduction of 100% sustainable fuel.

Don't miss out on any of the Formula 1 action thanks to this handy 2026 F1 calendar that can be easily loaded into your smartphone or PC.

Download the calender

Join the conversation!

Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.

Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar

A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..

x