Nico Hulkenberg expressed frustration after another difficult race weekend for Audi at the Japanese Grand Prix, where both he and teammate Gabriel Bortoleto missed out on scoring points. Hulkenberg, who remains one of six drivers yet to get off the mark in the 2026 season, came within a second of finishing in P10, ultimately crossing the line in 11th after a compromised opening lap.
After qualifying 13th, Hulkenberg lost ground at the start and dropped as low as 19th, making recovery an uphill battle amid heavy traffic. Reflecting on his getaway, Hulkenberg said, “It was just a really poor start, which obviously is quite compromising for the rest of the race, being in quite heavy traffic. It’s difficult to make progress now with these cars, with Overtake Mode and energy management. Sometimes you make a great move, but then become a sitting duck on the next straight and get repassed. It’s been interesting and fun, but also frustrating at times.”
The Japanese Grand Prix marked Audi’s first race following the departure of Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley, adding further challenges to the team’s campaign.
With the upcoming break—following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix—Hulkenberg emphasized the need for improvement: “We definitely have a lot of work ahead. The data and information we gathered in Japan are valuable, and we’ll use this time as productively as possible.”
Bortoleto, who started an impressive ninth but finished in 13th, echoed his teammate’s sentiments. “The start was not great, and it’s something we know we need to work on as a team. Both Nico and I have been struggling with this since race one. We just need time to put things in place and investigate other issues we faced during the race. We’ll keep our heads down and focus on the next one.”
As the team regroups during the break, Audi will be aiming to resolve their start-line issues and unlock the potential needed to score their first points of the season when the championship resumes in Miami.
