Audi Revolut F1 Team completed its first day of running at the new Madring circuit with both cars hovering around the edge of the top 10 through Friday practice. Nico Hülkenberg led the Audi pair in both sessions, finishing FP1 ninth with a 1:35.529 before improving to 1:35.060 and 12th in FP2. Gabriel Bortoleto was 11th in the opening session with a 1:35.652 and followed with a 1:35.170 for 13th in FP2.
With every Formula 1 team starting without previous track data at Madring, Audi used Friday to divide its tire program between the two cars. Bortoleto was the only driver in the field to run the C2 hard compound during FP1, completing 27 laps and finishing just two positions behind Hülkenberg despite running the harder tire. Hülkenberg completed 26 laps, though his session included a lock-up and some lost time in traffic. Audi reversed the programs in FP2, putting Hülkenberg onto the hard tire while Bortoleto ran the medium.
That approach leaves Audi with more practical experience of the C2 than any other team heading into Saturday. The hard compound was otherwise unused during FP1, giving the team an additional set of data as it works through tire behavior and setup choices on a circuit where degradation, track evolution and race strategy remain largely unknown. Hülkenberg completed another 22 laps in FP2 and Bortoleto 25, bringing Audi’s combined Friday mileage to 100 laps.
The outright positions suggest Audi remains in the tightly packed midfield rather than establishing itself as an obvious top-10 contender, but Friday was primarily about learning a circuit that proved exceptionally fast and unforgiving during its first Formula 1 sessions. Both drivers improved between FP1 and FP2, with just 0.110 seconds separating them by the end of the day. Audi will now use its first Madring data to refine the R26 overnight before FP3 and qualifying on Saturday.
SCHEDULE
| DAY/DATE | ACTIVITY | TRACK TIME | CET | EST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 11 Sep | Practice 1 | 13:30-14:30 | 13:30-14:30 | 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM |
| Fri 11 Sep | Practice 2 | 17:00-18:00 | 17:00-18:00 | 11:00 AM -12:00 AM |
| Sat 12 Sep | Practice 3 | 12:30-13:30 | 12:30-13:30 | 6:30 AM – 7:30 AM |
| Sat 12 Aug | Qualifying | 16:00-17:00 | 16:00-17:00 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM |
| Sun 13 Aug | Grand Prix | 15:00 | 15:00 | 9:00 AM |
RACE INFORMATION
AUDI REVOLUT F1 | FORMULA 1 SERIES | OFFICIAL MADRING WEBSITE
FREE PRACTICE #1 RESULTS
FULL RESULTS | WATCH BROADCAST
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME/GAP | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:34.077 | 28 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.286 | 27 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.459 | 27 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.543 | 27 |
| 5 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.626 | 25 |
| 6 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.870 | 27 |
| 7 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +0.956 | 28 |
| 8 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +1.071 | 22 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +1.452 | 26 |
| 10 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.462 | 26 |
| 11 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.575 | 27 |
FREE PRACTICE #2 RESULTS
FULL RESULTS | WATCH BROADCAST
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME/GAP | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:33.662 | 24 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.113 | 26 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.149 | 23 |
| 4 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +0.228 | 15 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.337 | 25 |
| 6 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.401 | 22 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.538 | 24 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | +1.096 | 26 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.205 | 26 |
| 10 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull | +1.276 | 21 |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +1.398 | 22 |
| 13 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | +1.508 | 25 |
TEAM QUOTES
Nico Hulkenberg (Car 27):
FP1: 9th / 1:35.529 2 (26 laps)
FP2: 12th / 1:35.060 (22 laps)
“It was an interesting first day on a brand-new circuit. There was a lot to learn and plenty to explore, and it’s definitely aunique track. It’s incredibly fast, almost like a rollercoaster, with very little room for error, so it keeps you on your toes all the way around. We gathered plenty of information, and now it’s about going through everything overnight, understanding what we’ve learned and seeing how we can use that to improve further.”
Gabriel Bortoleto (Car 5):
FP1: 11th / 1:24.006 (27 laps)
FP2: 13th / 1:35.170 (25 laps)
“It’s been great to finally get a first feeling of the Madring. Overall, it’s been a positive day for us: we learned a lot throughout the two sessions, although there is still some work to do overnight to try and extract some extra pace from our car. That will be our main task tomorrow – we’ll keep working, and I am looking forward to it.”
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