Audi F1 Heads to Baku After Scoring in Five of the Last Six Races

[Source: Audi Revolut F1 Team]

The Audi Revolut F1 Team is beginning to find some consistency as its inaugural Formula 1 season enters the home stretch. After scoring another championship point last time out in Madrid, Audi now heads to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix having finished inside the top 10 in five of the past six races.

That run doesn’t mean Audi has suddenly become a front-runner, but it does suggest the team is making progress. Racing Director Allan McNish called Madrid “another encouraging weekend,” noting that the team maximized its potential and was rewarded with another point. Now the objective is to keep that momentum going in Baku.

“We need to keep moving in that direction,” McNish said. “Our focus will be on doing our job well, continuing to improve and putting ourselves in the best possible position to be in the fight for more points.”

Opportunity in Baku

Baku could provide exactly that opportunity. The street circuit has developed a reputation for unpredictable races, with tight sections through the old city combined with extremely high speeds elsewhere. For a midfield team fighting over every championship point, simply staying out of trouble can sometimes pay dividends.

Nico Hülkenberg believes Audi has put itself in a position to capitalize. “We’ve been consistently fighting around the points over the last few weekends, and that’s where we want to stay,” he said, adding that things can change quickly in Baku and that a clean weekend should create opportunities.

Gabriel Bortoleto is also looking to rebound after what he described as a difficult Madrid weekend. Despite that, he believes the R26 has the pace necessary to fight its way into the top 10.

Baku also begins a particularly demanding stretch for Audi. Azerbaijan is the first event in an Asian triple-header, with Malaysia and Singapore following over the next two weekends. McNish expects the three consecutive physically demanding races to challenge both the drivers and crews.

Audi may still be fighting in the midfield, but five points finishes in six races represents meaningful progress. Another top 10 result on the unpredictable streets of Baku would be a further step in the right direction.