Audi never anticipated that its first Formula 1 test would be a flawless exercise, but there was a point midweek where it looked like a negative trend was setting in.
After Gabriel Bortoleto stopped after just 27 laps on the opening day with a suspected gearbox problem, Audi's return to action on Wednesday hit trouble just five laps in when Nico Hulkenberg ground to a halt with an hydraulics issue.
With its original shakedown earlier in the month having only been 50km, the impression from the outside was that things were not looking good.
But that midweek dip proved to be the low point, as Audi got back on track later on Wednesday to get some decent mileage under its belt by the end of the day.
And although it lost a bit more time on Friday morning as it evaluated a potential gearbox issue, its recovery when it did get going again was strong as it put in 145 laps, shared between both drivers, over that final day - which ended up being more than 60% of its entire 240-lap total from its three days.
As Hulkenberg later reflected: "It was certainly one of our better days, or our best day here this week.
"More than 140 laps, some good mileage for the car and for all the components. And on the power unit side, it's important for us to get that sort of mileage."
Ending on a flourish has at least given Audi an indication that its direction of travel is the right one, even if project leader Mattia Binotto said it has come out of the test with a long list of things that need sorting.
In fact, it's not just a long list - Binotto said it's the biggest one he has seen in his career.
"It's a lot of work for the entire team, it's a lot of work for the drivers, for the engineers back at home, fixing all the problems: design, operational, whatever we have seen," he said.
"So it's really for us, no stones [left] unturned. All the details need to be managed and need to be fixed, so we've got a very long list. A very, very long list. I've never seen such a long list.
"But I think it's great because the team is really committed, willing to improve and to come to Bahrain in a better shape."
As a new engine manufacturer and bringing a power unit and chassis together for the first time, it was always anticipated that the early phase of the year would be a challenge.
That's why early success for Audi is not based on how fast its car is going. Instead, it is based on how metronomic it can be in racking up the miles.
And while the Barcelona test was not perfect, it was an important experience for the team, so it can understand exactly where current faults lie. That, after all, is the whole point of testing.
Binotto added: "We know that there is a lot for us to build, a lot to grow. These three days of running have been very important.
"I think we are doing well for where we are on our journey. The reliability is always very critical but we had several problems. Small ones, not dramatic, and I think here again there are a lot of positive looking forwards."
Solo downside
What Audi cannot escape is that, with no customer teams, it is going to be on the back foot compared to some rivals when it comes to total laps completed. And that means it will be behind the curve when it comes to understanding how to get the most out of the new power units.
As the mileage total for the engine manufacturers over the full test week shows, those manufacturers that have exclusive arrangements were left at the bottom, while the rankings are dominated by those that have more teams.
Mercedes
1132 laps
5271.72km
Ferrari
989 laps
4605.77 km
Red Bull Powertrains
622 laps
2896.65km
Audi
240 laps
1117.68km
Honda
65 laps
302.71km
So, at a time when there seem to be clear gains to be had from understanding what the performance drivers for the new regulations are, Audi's challenge does perhaps look pretty big.
But that is nothing that the team did not expect.
As Hulkenberg explained: "For a first timer's new power unit, of course we knew it's going to be bumpy. There's going to be issues, but we work through them, and we'll continue to do so."
What Audi really needs now is to dig deep over the next two weeks to understand where the weaknesses are with its reliability, so that it can turn the Bahrain tests into a mileage-fest.
And only when it can start ticking off the laps will its ultimate performance really start to become relevant.
For Binotto, the target is reliability.
"The more we run, the more we learn and I think we are really at that stage," he said.
Reliability equals knowledge and, at this point of a new rules cycle, knowledge is power.
