Audi's Formula 1 team faced a series of setbacks at the Miami Grand Prix sprint weekend, including two cars catching fire, a disqualification, and an early retirement. Nico Hülkenberg missed the sprint due to a pre-race fire, while Gabriel Bortoleto was disqualified post-race and later retired with his car ablaze. The incidents highlight ongoing reliability woes for the newcomer squad.
The Miami Grand Prix sprint saw Audi's challenges unfold dramatically. Hülkenberg's R26 caught fire en route to the grid, forcing him to sit out the session entirely. Bortoleto crossed the line but stewards disqualified him after detecting his engine intake air pressure exceeded the 4.8 barA limit, a rare violation that stunned Sky expert Timo Glock. 'I’ve rarely heard of that mistake,' Glock remarked. The team then battled a gearbox issue on Bortoleto's car ahead of qualifying, fixing it in time but only for the vehicle to stop and ignite again on the cool-down lap. Double praise here: Audi actually communicated what the problem was and got the car back on track in time.
