Audi F1 suffer DOUBLE blow in Barcelona testing

Audi, 2026, Credits: Audi — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Testing 2026

Audi F1 suffer DOUBLE blow in Barcelona testing

Audi F1 team have not had a smooth run so far in Barcelona

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 28 January 2026 11:43

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Audi F1 team have suffered yet another testing blow on day three of the 2026 Barcelona shakedown with Nico Hulkenberg at the wheel.

This week's testing schedule takes place from Monday, January 26 until Friday, January 30, with teams only permitted to run for three of those days.

Audi's first outing on Monday was cut short after the new team spotted a technical issue on the R26, forcing Gabriel Bortoleto to stop on track.

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Now, on their second day of running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Bortoleto's experienced team-mate has reportedly brought out the first red flag of the day.

Hulkenberg took to the track on Wednesday morning with Audi but stopped on track on the straight between Turns 9 and 10.

The reason for the stoppage has not been confirmed but Hulkenberg's Audi F1 car was seen being removed from the track by stewards following the incident.

Are the 2026 F1 cars reliable?

This year's F1 championship will see all 22 drivers and their 11 respective teams grapple with the challenges of adapting to new machinery under the sport's latest wave of regulations.

To help manage their understanding of the new cars, teams have been offered nine days of testing ahead of the first round of the championship on March 8, with this week's private Barcelona shakedown a good opportunity to iron out any issues early on.

But despite the new regulations, much of this week's running has proved the new machinery to be much more reliable than perhaps expected, with Mercedes alone putting in 151 laps on just the first day thanks to Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

Haas driver Esteban Ocon completed the equivalent of more than two full Spanish grands prix on his first day of testing and Red Bull have impressed rivals with their new powertrain project after experiencing a fairly positive first couple days of running as well.

After an issue for both Bortoleto and Hulkenberg now just three days into testing, Audi will not want to experience any further reliability issues this week as their reputation remains on the line in their first year in the pinnacle of motorsport.

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F1 Audi Nico Hulkenberg pre-season testing Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya