A big test of Audi's bold F1 claim

Audi had a bit of a stuttering start to its Formula 1 journey, with debut points in Australia, followed by seven races where neither of its drivers got in the top 10.

But off the back of an engine upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, aimed at improving its major drivability weakness, there has been a marked turnaround in form from F1's big new manufacturer.

It's been buoyed by back-to-back points finishes in Britain and Belgium, helped by strong performances from Gabriel Bortoleto and a good strategy call under the VSC at Spa. It's now eager for more.

This weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix could well prove to be a litmus test for what we can expect from Audi over the second half of the campaign – as it will be a chance for it to show whether some claimed strengths can overcome its known Achilles heel.

The messaging for much of the season is that Audi's first power unit is well adrift of the opposition – at least 4% off according to the FIA's own ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) rankings.

However, on the chassis front, Audi is far from downbeat. In fact, the messaging from both team management and drivers has been pretty clear about how strong its R26 is.

Audi F1 project leader Mattia Binotto remarked earlier this year that he felt Audi had a top four chassis, while at the Austrian GP in late June, Bortoleto reckoned that sights could have been set on a major giant-killing performance if he had more top speed.

"If we had the same top speed as Mercedes or Red Bull, we would have been fighting for top three," he remarked about Audi's form at the power-sensitive Red Bull Ring.

It was a bold claim but one that Audi's bosses suggest may not be too far wrong.

Racing director Allan McNish said: "I think it's quite clear in the numbers where we are on medium-high speed - and we're very good. Very efficient as well. We can still improve a little bit in the low speed."

Shifting form

Audi's closest rivals are certainly starting to sit up and take notice of how things seem to be clicking more.

Just as Racing Bulls seemed to have picked up momentum in the fight to be best of the rest behind the top four teams, Audi is starting to stretch its legs and causing it some headaches.

As Arvid Lindblad said after being beaten by Bortoleto in the Belgian GP: "They're fast, the Audis. They're faster than us in the corners. We're very aware of that.

"They have a little bit of a better car. We're a bit more competitive on the straights, plus I think we're less draggy.

"Overall, in quali, we're able to be faster than them. In the race, we're very similar pace."

Bortoleto thinks that the midfield fight has evolved since the start of the year, with early headline acts Haas and Alpine having now slipped back.

"I think we are ahead of Alpine for sure, but when we are fighting with them we cannot overtake in the middle of the corners because that's impossible," he said.

"And on the straights, they are able to pull away. So, unless we manage to stay ahead of them and create a gap, it's difficult to race against them.

"In tracks where you have less straights, it's a bit easier. But I would say Racing Bulls, for now it's a little bit ahead of us, but we are catching.

"We are coming closer and we are coming out of the tracks that [expose a bit more of] our weaknesses." 

These clear characteristics differences between the cars – of Audi being better in the corners while Racing Bulls seems stronger on the straights – could well shape how the midfield battle will play out over the rest of 2026.

That is why this weekend will be a fascinating one. The tight and twisty Hungaroring is nowhere near as power sensitive as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, and much more of the lap time is shaped by how well the car handles in the turns.

So now that Audi has cured some of the drivability issues that hurt it earlier in the campaign – and meant that its chassis advantage could not be utilised well at venues like Monaco where engine responsiveness is key – we should finally get a clear picture of where it stacks up.

In fact, based on McNish's view on where it excels, the Hungaroring's prevalence of medium and high-speed corners, without too much slow stuff, seems perfect for the R26. 

Still not enough

But even if Audi has a feel-good factor about its car and Hungary delivers on the high hopes, the team also fully understands that success in F1 is about more than just being happy with your car.

And for all the positive chatter about how strong its car is, and what the GPS is saying about its performances through the turns, it can't just be strong in one element if it wants to actually achieve results.

McNish added: "It is a car and a power unit. That's the important thing.

"Separating them off is, in theory, a way to do it. But in practice, you need the power unit to make the car go around the corner. As well as the chassis itself. It's the complete package."

Audi isn't sitting still. Drivability has improved, thanks in part to a smaller turbo that it introduced in Spain last month, but it still needs to make its engine less peaky.

Bortoleto says Audi fully understands there is still an awful lot to do to find more power as well.

"It's still down, but it's something we know," he said. "I don't think there is a need to be talking all the time about it.

"I think it's clear, everyone can see it, but I'm sure the team is doing a great job trying to bring performance on the engine.

"I can see when I go to the factory that they are doing a very good job in that sense."

Binotto has already talked about a new engine concept being in the works, but potentially not coming until 2028, so there remains a long way to go before the squad can excel on all tracks.

But that doesn't mean there aren't good opportunities to be had at the right venues for its car - starting in Hungary this weekend.