Audi launch investigation after F1 start sees car withdrawn

Mattia Binotto, Audi, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Audi launch investigation after F1 start sees car withdrawn

Audi's competitive F1 debut could have gone better

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 10 March 2026 21:58

Audi have vowed to get to the bottom of an issue that saw their competitive start as an F1 team begin with just one car in the race.

The German automotive giants have successfully completed their mammoth takeover of the F1 squad previously known as Sauber, hoping to one day battle for championships once they have laid down firm foundations as a constructor.

But the start to their journey as an F1 team could have gone better at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix after German racer Nico Hulkenberg failed to even make it to the start line.

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After Audi reported that they had lost communication with the 38-year-old's car on the way to the grid, Hulkenberg was ruled out of the first race of the championship due to technical issues.

Now, the rebranded team have stated they will 'investigate the problem', with time ticking before the second round of the 2026 championship kicks off at this weekend's Chinese GP.

With Shanghai also hosting the first of six sprint events this season, there will be little time for Audi or any team for that matter to turn things around between sessions should they encounter any technical issues again.

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Australian GP was 'bittersweet' for Audi

A team statement released by Audi following Hulkenbergs' DNS result read: "Nico Hulkenberg’s car developed a technical issue on the way to the grid and was returned to the garage ahead of the race start.

"The team lost telemetry from the car and could not establish the cause of the issue: as a result, the team withdrew car #27 from the race. The team will investigate the problem in depth to understand it and prevent it from reoccurring."

This devastating result for Hulkenberg and Audi meant that it was up to Gabriel Bortoleto to save face and bring home a positive result for the new team, with the Brazilian racer doing just that by crossing the line in P9 and securing Audi's first F1 championship points.

Reflecting on the combination of Hulkenberg’s DNS and Bortoleto’s first points of the season, Head of Audi F1 Project Mattia Binotto described Sunday's race as: “A bittersweet day - and one that reflects our ambition."

In an Audi review following the race weekend in Melbourne, the former Ferrari team principal added: "To score points in our debut race shows the strength and dedication of this team. We will learn from today, resolve the issue that stopped Nico, and move forward together.

"Congratulations to Gabi on delivering the first points for Audi in F1."

When is the next F1 race?

Audi will be back in action for the second round of the F1 2026 season at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

The main race will take place on Sunday, March 15, at 3pm local time (CST), 7am GMT, and 3am ET, but Shanghai will also stage the first of six sprint races this year, with a full sprint schedule in play for this weekend. Check out the full Chinese GP weekend schedule here.

Australian Grand Prix 2026 regulations Audi Nico Hulkenberg Gabriel Bortoleto