Suzuka, Audi closes Friday in the top-10
THE’Audi it is one of the most positive surprises of the 2026 World Championship. With a home-made power unit and the pressure of bringing such a big name to the track, the former Sauber is interpreting the new regulations very well, and even on Friday in Japan it was solidly in the top-10. Thanks to Nico Hülkenberga guarantee in terms of continuity and performance: seventh fastest for the German at the end of an intense and productive day of free practice, focused on finding the best set-up to face the characteristics of Suzuka.
A few more problems for Gabriel Bortoletostopped for most of FP2 due to a gearbox problem, replaced as a precaution. The Brazilian still managed to beat an Alpine and get within a tenth of Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull.
Hülkenberg’s words
“Overall it was a positive Friday“, commented the German. “We had two sessions without a hitch, completed the entire program and laid a good foundation. The car’s performance seems goodis a positive starting point. The midfield seems very compact, it is tighter than in the first two races, so the competition should be very intense on the track. We will analyze everything overnight, but the direction to follow is clear and we have a good base to work on for tomorrow“.
Bortoleto’s words
“It was a bit of a back and forth Friday“, added Bortoleto. “The morning session went smoothly, but we identified a problem in the early stages of FP2 and decided to proceed with a preventative gearbox replacement as the quickest solution to getting back on track. This resulted in a loss of time in the pits, but the team did an incredible job in getting the car back on track and getting me back on track for the end of the session. I would like to thank him, he allowed me to complete some laps and gather useful information“.
