Suzuka, Audi closes Friday in top-10
Audi is one of the most positive surprises of the 2026 World Championship. With an in-house power unit and the pressure of bringing such a big name to the track, the former Sauber is interpreting the new regulations very well, and also on Friday in Japan it was solidly in the top-10. Credit goes to Nico Hülkenberg, a guarantee in terms of consistency and performance: seventh time for the German at the end of an intense and productive free practice day, focused on finding the best setup to tackle Suzuka’s characteristics.
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A few more problems for Gabriel Bortoleto, stopped for much of FP2 due to a gearbox issue, replaced as a precaution. The Brazilian still managed to beat an Alpine and came within a tenth of Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull.
Hülkenberg’s words
“Overall it was a positive Friday“, commented the German. “We completed two sessions without any hitches, finished the entire program and laid down a good foundation. The car’s performance looks good, it’s a positive starting point. The midfield seems very compact, it’s tighter than in the first two races, so on track the competition should be very intense. We’ll analyze everything overnight, but the direction to follow is clear and we have a good base to work with for tomorrow“.
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Bortoleto’s words
“It was a somewhat up-and-down Friday“, added Bortoleto. “The morning session went smoothly, but we identified a problem in the early stages of FP2 and decided to proceed with a preventive gearbox replacement as the quickest solution to get back on track. This resulted in lost time in the pits, but the team did an incredible job getting the car back together and getting me back on track for the end of the session. I want to thank them, it allowed me to complete some laps and gather useful information“.
