Binotto Flags Power Unit Weakness for 2026 F1 Season

[Source: PlanetF1]

We are just three races into the 2026 Formula 1 season so there is a long way to go. The Audi Revolut F1 Team is tied with Williams for eighth place with two championship points. That is exactly where we would expect them to be in their inaugural year. However, it feels like Audi has left some points on the table. According to a report by PlanetF1, Mattia Binotto is putting the blame on the Audi power unit.

Audi has shown early promise in its Formula 1 debut, with the new Audi R26 consistently running in the midfield. Drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have delivered strong qualifying performances, including multiple Q3 appearances for Bortoleto and near-misses from Hulkenberg. The team has even challenged rivals like Haas and Alpine. However, despite this encouraging pace, Audi has yet to convert its qualifying speed into meaningful race results due to a combination of setbacks and race-day challenges.

Poor Race Starts

Audi’s early Formula 1 campaign has been hampered by reliability and operational setbacks, preventing the team from converting promising qualifying pace into points. Nico Hülkenberg was unable to start the Australian Grand Prix due to a technical issue, while Gabriel Bortoleto missed the start in China for similar reasons. Hülkenberg’s chances in Shanghai were further compromised by a 16-second pit stop caused by a wheel gun failure. Additionally, poor race starts have consistently dropped both drivers down the order, making it difficult to recover positions and challenge for points.

“There have been poor starts, and it’s not the first time. So that’s certainly not our strength at the moment,” Audi’s head of F1 project Mattia Binotto said after Japan. “The reason it has not been addressed so far is that it’s not an obvious thing to be fixed. But, on the other side, we know it’s a top priority for us, because, again, we had a good quali and it’s not worthwhile starting with positions, and you are losing all the positions at the start.”

Power Unit Issues

While the Audi R26 chassis has provided a solid foundation, Binotto acknowledges that the engine is currently holding the team back. A larger turbo design in the AFR26 unit has contributed to slow race starts, contrasting with rival solutions like Ferrari’s, which have proven more effective off the line.

Binotto noted that the overall energy deployment and straight-line speed remain weaknesses, unsurprising given that this is Audi’s first Formula 1 power unit and that the team gathers less data than competitors with multiple customer teams. While the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) could help accelerate progress, Audi is taking a long-term view, targeting 2030 as a realistic benchmark for peak competitiveness.

After a reactive start to the season focused on reliability fixes, the current break before Miami will allow Audi to shift attention toward development and better preparation for the races ahead. We must remember that this first season was all about gathering data and improving as the year goes along. That is exactly what Audi is doing.