How was the Audi F1 debut? Technical director Key: “We knew it wouldn’t be perfect”

Audi debuts in F1 with some difficulty. It was among the great expectations of the F1 tests in Barcelona and, despite never looking for performance, the debuting Audi made a marked presence by managing to run for the three days scheduled. Not a shakedown without problems however, with Mattia Binotto himself who at the end of the operations admitted that there are some rather big challenges that a new manufacturer and engine engineer must face on the eve of a regulatory revolution like the one that F1 is facing in the winter of 2026. Also confirming the words of the great head of the Formula 1 project of the Ingolstadt house is the technical director James Key, who arrived in the Hinwil team from McLaren in 2023, when the team was still called Alfa Romeo F1 and the purchase by Audi was announced but still waiting to be formalized. Technical director James Key speaks. The English engineer admitted the existence of some difficulties for the R26 which, entrusted to the hands of the official drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, was “unlocked” only on the last day of shakedown, covering a total of 148 laps (there were 27 on the first and 68 on the second day, here are all the details on who covered the most km): “Barcelona marked an important stage in our development path, since we subjected the car to on its first full test programme. We arrived here already knowing that it wasn’t going to be a perfect week. There was still a lot of new stuff for us, with a completely new car and engine package and the new extensive collaboration between the Neuburg and Hinwil factories. As expected, we faced some initial difficulties, which is completely normal at this stage, but they were all well understood and solvable problems. “We made clear and steady progress over the course of the week and – adds James Key speaking to the official Formula 1 website – in the second half of the tests, we were able to work more productively and start to draw meaningful conclusions. These tests were never about performance, but about validating fundamental aspects and verifying the reliability of our main systems. In this regard, we have made good improvements and now have a solid foundation on which to build ahead of Bahrain. Every lap completed is a step forward, and the work must be done by the team on track that of our colleagues in Neuburg and Hinwil was fundamental in making us progress. This is why I congratulate the entire Audi F1 team for their efforts this week.”