Bortoleto admits to limited track time in Barcelona
A successful pre-season is determined by two basic areas. The first is completing a series of efficient and thorough run plans. Accumulating laps and data will be the number one priority for teams heading into the Australian GP.
Only by putting laps on the board can engineers begin to understand their 2026 challengers and how to extract further performance.
Simultaneously, a positive shakedown or tests is also determined by a car’s inherent potential. In short, the work done in the factory will decide whether the car being tested is competitive and consists of strong technical foundations.
In this sense, completing laps and collecting data is only half the story. An equally important element is actually having a good package to work with – otherwise the only conclusions teams can draw is that they need to to return to the drawing board.
For Audi, there are several question marks to answer. On both the engine and aerodynamic front, the 2026 season presents a new set of equations to solve.
A manufacturer team like Audi is in an especially demanding position. Unlike customer outfits like McLaren or Haas, the German team is forced to worry about all areas of performance.
In theory, this is a positive – as it means your destiny is entirely in your own hands. At the same time, it is also a huge responsibility – particularly if you lack the expertise and infrastructure of an established name like Mercedes.
It was with this perspective that Gabriel Bortoleto reflected on his first day in the R26:
“It was, I would say a bit of a short day. We were doing a pretty decent job in the morning, putting some laps on board and testing some things, going in the right direction.
“But as we all expect, this is a shakedown and everything can happen, and we expect to find issues here and there in the car.
“We found a couple of problems that unfortunately put us out of the day, basically, from the morning already… (cont. on next page)
