Audi F1 Hopes Sepang Will Unlock Its Latest R26 Upgrades

[Source: Audi Revolut F1 Team]

Audi F1 came agonizingly close to scoring points on the streets of Baku, with Nico Hülkenberg finishing 11th after battling inside the top 10. Now the team heads to Malaysia hoping a very different circuit will provide a better showcase for the latest upgrades to the R26.

Formula 1 returns to Sepang for the first time in almost a decade, making this weekend something of an unknown even for experienced teams and drivers. The classic Malaysian circuit also presents a very different challenge from Baku, with a more traditional layout combined with notoriously high temperatures, humidity, and potentially unpredictable weather. For Audi, that’s exactly what makes the weekend so interesting.

The team introduced a new package in Azerbaijan, but the unusual characteristics of the Baku street circuit made it difficult to determine exactly how much performance the upgrades delivered. Racing Director Allan McNish believes Sepang should provide a much clearer picture.

“We are all looking forward to seeing how our package will work on a more traditional track layout, one that should more accurately show the benefit of our upgrades,” McNish said. He added that Audi expects Sepang to suit the R26 better, with the goal of putting both cars in a stronger position to fight for points.

Building on Baku

Hülkenberg has previous experience at Sepang and expects the circuit’s technical sections to reward precision. He also pointed to Malaysia’s heat and humidity as another challenge for both car and driver. More importantly, Audi learned useful lessons about its new package in Baku and will now attempt to extract more performance from it.

For Gabriel Bortoleto, Sepang represents an entirely new experience. The young driver has never raced at the circuit, making Friday’s practice sessions particularly important as he learns the track while Audi continues dialing in its updated car.

Audi has been competitive in the midfield in recent races. Baku showed that the latest R26 package has potential, even if the result didn’t add anything to the championship total. Sepang should give us a much better idea of whether those upgrades can turn that potential into points.