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2026 Miami Grand Prix - Saturday
Audi Revolut F1 Team faced a demanding Saturday, with the Sprint and Qualifying sessions presenting a series of challenges that required resilience and strong teamwork. Nico was unable to start the Sprint after a late emerging technical issue occurred during his installation lap. Gabriel made a strong start and delivered a good drive to finish P11 on track, but a minor technical infringement led to a post-race disqualification.
In Qualifying, the team once again showed resilience: Nico’s crew completed a power unit and gearbox change, enabling him to recover strongly and secure P11 on the grid for the Grand Prix, narrowly missing out on Q3. Gabriel was delayed following a gearbox change between sessions and, despite an outstanding effort by the team to release the car in the final moments of the session, a brake issue limited his running and left him P22.
Despite the setbacks, the day underlined the commitment and teamwork across both sides of the garage as the team looks to regroup and capitalize on every opportunity in Sunday’s race.
Allan McNish, Racing Director: “A very challenging day for us from start to finish. We had an issue on Nico’s car before the sprint which ultimately led to a leak and fire on the way to the grid, meaning he couldn’t start. On the other side, Gabriel made a strong start and drove well, but a technical infringement unfortunately resulted in a disqualification. Between sessions we then faced a gearbox issue on his car, and despite a huge effort from the crew to get him back out, a brake problem forced him to stop on track in qualifying.
“The positive is Nico’s recovery, a very strong performance to take P11 and just miss out on Q3. More importantly, both crews showed real grit, determination and teamwork under pressure, which is exactly what we need at this stage of the project. We now have to regroup, learn from today, and make sure we maximise every opportunity that comes our way tomorrow.”
Nico Hulkenberg (Car 27):
Sprint: DNS
Strategy: Start (Medium Used)
Q1: 1:29.645 (8 laps)
Q2: 11th / 1:29.439 6 (6 laps)
“First of all, a big thanks to the mechanics - they did a great job turning the car around after the Sprint and getting it back out there. It was a big effort in a short amount of time, so full credit to them. From my side, I think we got the maximum out of the session today. The gap to the cars ahead was quite clear, so realistically there wasn’t much more on the table. The car felt consistent with yesterday, which was important given we didn’t have time for the usual checks after the repairs. Now it’s about focusing on tomorrow and seeing what we can do in the race.”
Gabriel Bortoleto (Car 5):
Sprint: 11th
Fastest Lap: 1:34.174 (Lap 8)
Strategy: Start (Medium Used)
Q1: 22nd/ 1:33.737 (3 laps)
"A bit of a tough day with an unfortunate disqualification in the Sprint. It felt like I had settled into a pace I was comfortable with, but the cars ahead were also quite strong. Before the Qualifying session, we had to make some changes to the car, but obviously didn't have a lot of time. The team did a tremendous job to get the car back out there, but when things have to be rushed like this and you don’t have time to fully check everything, it’s always going to be tough. We tried our best, but had too many problems on the lap and had to stop the car. It’s a shame, but it’s a new day tomorrow."
