Audi
Nico Hulkenberg
"Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to compete today. We developed a technical problem on the way to the grid, and it was something we couldn’t resolve in time for the start. The team is investigating now to understand exactly what happened. It’s obviously frustrating to miss out on the race and the opportunity to learn more.
"That said, it’s positive to see the team finish with points through Gabi, which is a great result and a strong way to start the F1 era for Audi. Racing moves quickly, so we reset and go again next week.”
Gabriel Bortoleto
“To finish in the points in our first event as Audi and writing a piece of motorsport history is something the whole team can be extremely proud of. It was a positive race at the end of a good weekend for us: the car and the power unit ran reliably throughout the day, which is a great reward for the enormous effort that went in over the winter to get everything ready for the season.
“The race itself was quite busy and at times a bit chaotic with the new regulations, so there are still many things for us to study and understand better. But the pace was strong, the communication in the garage was excellent and the team executed the race very well.
“Overall, it is probably more than we could have expected from the first weekend. This result gives us a good baseline to build from, but we know there are still many areas where we can improve. There are a lot of races ahead of us, and our focus now is on continuing to learn, develop the car and come back even stronger at the next events.”
Jonathan Wheatley -Team Principal
“Gabi delivered an outstanding drive today. It was a very mature performance from start to finish. The start wasn’t ideal, which we expected might be a challenge here, but he kept his composure, managed the race extremely well and showed great confidence throughout. We chose an aggressive strategy towards the end with the final pit stop to try and put pressure on the cars ahead, and with a slightly different scenario in the closing laps we might even have had the opportunity to fight for P8.
“On the other side of the garage, it was obviously disappointing not to see Nico take the start. He was incredibly motivated for his first race with Audi Revolut F1 Team, so that was a difficult moment for him and for everyone in the team.
"Ultimately, leaving our first Grand Prix with P9 and points on the board is a fantastic way to begin our journey. It’s a historic moment for Audi Revolut F1 Team and something the whole team can be very proud of.”
