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Audi Cites 'Very Long List' After Barcelona F1 Shakedown, Targets Bahrain Reliability Gains

The team aims to turn the next test in two weeks into a sustained mileage run to speed learning.

Overview

  • Project lead Mattia Binotto said the post-test task list is the biggest he has seen, spanning design, operational and reliability fixes.
  • Early running was interrupted by specific faults, with Gabriel Bortoleto stopping after 27 laps with a suspected gearbox issue and Nico Hülkenberg halting five laps into a session due to hydraulics.
  • Audi recovered late in the week to log 145 laps on the final day and 240 across three days, covering roughly 1,117 kilometers.
  • As a sole works supplier without customer teams, Audi completed fewer total manufacturer laps than rivals—Mercedes 1,132, Ferrari 989, Red Bull Powertrains 622, Audi 240, Honda 65—limiting its data set.
  • Binotto called reliability “very critical” and both drivers emphasized the value of the mileage, with Hülkenberg labeling the final day the team’s best of the week.