F1 News: Audi hailed as 'champions' already as debut season impresses leading insider

Bortoleto during Sprint in Miami — Photo: © IMAGO

Audi F1

Audi hailed as 'champions' already as F1 debut impresses leading insider

Not bad for their first season!

Chris Deeley

Sunday 9 August 2026 18:45

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Audi have been hailed for their start to the 2026 F1 season, in their first ever year as an engine manufacturer.

The team formerly known as Sauber are in their first season producing their own engines and running as Audi, with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto beginning to catch the eyes of some leading insiders in the sport.

Speaking on the Chequered Flag Extra podcast, BBC Sport writer Andrew Benson hailed the German team as the 'best-of-the-rest midfield champion', citing their work to overcome the disadvantages of being a new manufacturer and going through some personnel turnover.

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Audi sit eighth in the championship with just 12 points this season, with ten of those coming in the last three races, leaving just Williams, Aston Martin and Cadillac behind them.

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'It's a tough call, but Audi just edge it'

"If you're going to ask me to give you a best-of-the-rest midfield champion so far, I'm going to have to give it to Audi, I think, on overall balance," said the long-time F1 correspondent.

"They've not delivered on everything in terms of points on the table and in terms of the championship, but just in terms of the context of them being a new engine manufacturer, reconstructing the team, they've had leadership instability with Jonathan Wheatley, the team principal, leaving at the beginning of the season.

Jonathan Wheatley departed Audi after just two races.

"Allan McNish has come in, effectively replacing him as the guy who runs the sporting side of things underneath Mattia Binotto. It's a tough call, but Audi just edge it for me."

"It's hard to disagree, to be honest with you" said long-time racer and commentator Alice Powell in the seat next to him, before immediately doing exactly that, saying: "I'm going to be different and say Racing Bulls."

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