Audi racing director Allan McNish has admitted the German manufacturer must clean up a series of reliability and operational failures after a chaotic Miami Grand Prix weekend exposed the fragile foundations of its developing Formula 1 project.
What began with flashes of promise quickly spiralled into frustration in Florida, as technical failures, overheating concerns and a costly disqualification combined to derail what McNish believed could have been one of the team’s strongest weekends of the season so far.
Gabriel Bortoleto was thrown out of the Sprint after a technical infringement linked to excessive engine intake air pressure, while Nico Hulkenberg failed to even start the race after a fire erupted on his car. On Sunday, Hulkenberg’s race ended prematurely because of an overheating drivetrain problem, while Bortoleto crossed the line in 12th position.
Power Unit Struggles Across the Grid
Asked directly about Audi’s recurring power unit concerns, McNish acknowledged significant work remains while stressing the team is not alone in wrestling with Formula 1’s demanding new-generation systems introduced for 2026.
“Well, obviously you don’t want them — that is for sure. But if you look, a lot of PU manufacturers are having some issues, it’s not just us,” McNish said.
He pointed to deployment issues affecting other teams, including Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, as evidence that the entire grid is grappling with the complexities of the heavily electrified power units that now deliver roughly 50 percent of their output from electric systems.
“The more learning, and certainly for us, we’re learning about a lot more than some of the others, because they’re already in the system with understanding 75 percent of it. Definitely, we need to tidy those, there’s no question about it.”
The Scot’s comments underline the steep challenge facing Audi as it attempts to establish itself against manufacturers with years of embedded Formula 1 experience already behind them. While rivals are refining mature systems, Audi is still building foundational understanding across major areas of its operation — a process that inevitably carries painful setbacks.
Technical Errors Compound Frustration
On the excess engine intake air pressure that got Bortoleto disqualified from Saturday’s Sprint, McNish made clear the breach did not provide any meaningful competitive advantage, but insisted the team has no choice except to improve its execution.
“It’s not something that was performance beneficial yesterday for Gabi. However, the penalty is in or out, and that’s the rules. However, we do have to improve on that, and it’s a clear focus of where we are. And it’s also a clear learning for the operation as well.”
The operational issues have become increasingly difficult to dismiss as isolated incidents. Hulkenberg’s pre-race fire in Miami marked the third time this season that an Audi car has failed before the start of a race, following earlier problems in Australia and China.
Despite the alarming trend, McNish insisted the failures are not linked by one recurring flaw.
“No, it’s not, but obviously, that’s not what we need. We need reliability, and then we can also start developing in other areas as well. We can improve clearly.”
Pace Glimpsed Beneath the Breakdowns
What may sting most inside Audi’s garage is that beneath the breakdowns and penalties, there were genuine signs of progress in Miami — enough to suggest the package may have had the potential to fight far higher up the order.
“The frustrating part is not having two cars at the start on Saturday, and especially with the performance that underlined part of it, and that’s certainly an area that’s a clear focus number one. We need to work on that,” McNish said.
Instead, the weekend became another lesson in Formula 1’s unforgiving reality: pace means little if the fundamentals are not yet under control. For Audi, the priority is clear — establish reliability first, then unlock the performance lurking beneath the surface. The next opportunity to demonstrate progress comes at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola later this month.