By securing ninth place in the Australian Grand Prix, the stage that opened the 2026 championship at the Albert Park circuit, Gabriel Bortoleto put his name on Audi’s trajectory by scoring the first two points for the debuting team in the main category of world motorsport.
The results obtained in the Melbourne circuit and in the following races earned the Brazilian competitor public recognition from Mattia Binotto, team leader, and now also from Gernot Dollner, executive director of Audi, the German corporation that heads the motorsport championship project.
Audi CEO praises the relationship between Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg
On a trip to Monaco for the presentation of the Audi Nuvolari, a hybrid super sports car configured with a power of over 1,000 horsepower, Dollner made a point of praising the qualities of the young Brazilian during a conversation with international journalists in the Monte Carlo paddock. The executive recalled the feeling of pride that took over the members of the team and the employees of the global factory with the points achieved by Bortoleto in Australia.
The director explained that the moment in Melbourne brought great emotion and generated enthusiasm throughout the company. According to his words, the Brazilian acts as a fundamental cog in the organization’s gear and establishes, alongside the German Nico Hulkenberg, an ideal combination of drivers. The executive highlighted the privilege of having professionals who work together behind the scenes to make the project grow. In relation to the competitor from Brazil, the brand leader highlighted that the ability to align natural ability with an intense routine of training in simulators, detailed telemetry analysis and harmonious coexistence is impressive for someone in his age group.
Even after the positive start in Australia, the German-based team was unable to return to the top ten in the following main races. Despite the fluctuation, Audi’s current performance is in full compliance with the planned plan, according to the assessment made by Gernot Dollner.
The team maintains plans to compete for titles until 2030
When asked about maintaining the medium-term goals revealed at the official launch event held in the city of Berlin, the executive director categorically confirmed that the plan to fight for championships until the 2030 season remains unchanged.
The manager detailed that the organization strictly complies with the steps of consolidating itself as a challenger in the first two years, moving to the position of direct competitor afterwards and reaching the condition of fighting for the top of the table at the end of this decade. The leader reaffirmed that the current positioning is in line with the board’s predictions for this stage and, although there was a desire to score more points in recent stages, the mechanical behavior of the R26 model and the pit operations are aligned with the brand’s guidelines.
Launch of the Audi Nuvolari celebrates the brand’s connection with the track
The president also addressed the direction of engine development in the category and mentioned the recently launched Nuvolari model as proof that the automaker deals well with high-performance V8 engine architectures.
The executive considered that the vehicle uses this configuration and that the automaker actively participates in discussions about future technical rules conducted by the International Automobile Federation, demonstrating optimism with the upcoming regulations.
Entry into the main category of motor sport was the central pillar for the development of the new super sports vehicle presented on the French Riviera. With the direct participation of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, the car project sought to set the speed record in the manufacturer’s century-old history.
The hybrid propulsion model generates 1,001 horsepower, reaches 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds and has a top speed of over 350 km/h. Total production will be limited to 499 examples worldwide and the baptism celebrates the story of Tazio Nuvolari, an Italian driver renowned in the period before the creation of the Formula 1 world championship. The tribute to the former driver included the adoption of yellow details on the spoilers and sides of the team’s single-seaters in the Monte Carlo race.
The top leader pointed out that the automobile market has registered a strong trend towards electrification on a global scale that is now undergoing temporary stabilization. The executive concluded by indicating that internal combustion engines applied to high-performance sports cars will continue to be in operation for the next two or three decades.