Bortoleto: Audi Has 'Very Strong' F1 Chassis, but Engine Needs Work

Gabriel Bortoleto believes Audi has built a capable first Formula 1 chassis, but says the team must fix its engine deficit to climb the order.

The Brazilian delivered the squad's only points with ninth in Australia, and finished just outside the top 10 in Monaco and Barcelona. While the R26 is not yet a race-winner, Bortoleto insists it is a solid foundation.

Why it matters:

Audi's long-awaited F1 arrival needed a credible baseline, and a competitive chassis suggests the structural work is sound. Yet the engine shortfall—over a second per lap by Mattia Binotto's estimate—reveals the real bottleneck. For a manufacturer developing everything in-house, these first-year power unit struggles were expected.

The details:

• Chassis: Bortoleto called the R26 "very strong," conceding it is not championship-ready but praising it as a capable platform.
• Results: Bortoleto scored in Australia, while Nico Hulkenberg has twice finished 11th. Hulkenberg was ninth on the road in Monaco before a penalty, and was on course for points in Barcelona until a gravel stone from Liam Lawson's car bizarrely hit his ERS kill switch.
• Engine gap: Bortoleto backed Binotto's claim that Audi is losing more than a second per lap on certain tracks, calling it the honest reality of a first-season in-house program.
• Development: The power unit is built entirely by Audi's internal team, so the learning curve is steep but the upside is under direct manufacturer control.

What's next:

With the chassis proving it can fight for points, Audi's priority is power unit gains. Closing that gap will determine whether the team can turn its foundation into regular points and eventually podium fights as the 2026 cycle matures.