• Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto launched strong recovery drives after difficult opening laps
  • Smart strategy calls and the fastest pit stop of the Grand Prix allowed the team to maximise pace on a challenging circuit
  • Development driver Freddie Slater maintains a 15-point lead at the top of the Formula 3 championship heading into the season finale


Johannesburg, SEPTEMBER 2026 – The Audi Revolut F1 Team demonstrated resilience and strategic precision at the Italian Grand Prix, with both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto mounting impressive recovery drives to cross the line on the verge of the top 10.

On a Monza circuit that was anticipated to be one of the season's most demanding venues, early setbacks forced both drivers onto the back foot. However, the team responded with sharp pit-wall decisions, strong race pace and flawless execution in the garage – highlighted by setting the single fastest pit stop of the afternoon – to extract every ounce of performance from the car.

Adding to the weekend’s positive outlook, Audi Driver Development Programme talent Freddie Slater continues to lead the Formula 3 championship. Despite an unfortunate mechanical failure that cut his Feature Race short on Sunday morning, Slater holds a commanding 15-point advantage at the top of the standings with three races remaining in the title decider.

With the Italian round complete, the Audi Revolut F1 Team will focus on next week’s European grand finale in Madrid, where the all-new Madring street circuit will make its debut.

Allan McNish, Racing Director: "We knew Monza would be one of the more difficult circuits for our car, so to come away with both cars finishing just outside the points is a solid effort. The starts made life difficult for both Nico and Gabriel, and with such a long run to Turn 1, losing positions early meant we were always fighting back.

"I think everyone did a good job to maximise what was available today. Both drivers recovered well, the strategy calls were strong, particularly around the Virtual Safety Car for Nico, and the pit crew once again delivered an excellent stop. The execution across the team was very good, and that's something we can take with us as we head to Madrid."

Nico Hülkenberg (Car 27): "Overall, we knew this was always going to be one of the more difficult weekends for us given the characteristics of the circuit, so considering that, it wasn't a bad day. The second start was much better, and I managed to gain a few positions on the opening lap, but unfortunately, I lost out again shortly afterwards. We'll need to review exactly what happened there and understand if there was something we could have done differently.

"From then on, it was a fairly straightforward race. We extracted what we could from the package today, and that's about where we were this weekend. We'll go away, review everything and turn our attention to Madrid.”

Gabriel Bortoleto (Car 5): "I think I gave everything I had today. The start didn’t make things easy for us, and once you lose positions on the opening lap, it's always a challenge to recover. We pushed hard and probably used the tyres a bit too much, but that's part of trying to fight back. The Racing Bulls were quite strong today, especially on the straights, and keeping up with them was more tough than expected.

“Still, the team gave me a car capable of fighting much closer to the points than we expected, and we'll keep building from that heading into Madrid next week, where hopefully we’ll have better opportunities.”

ENDS