Everything that's gone wrong for Audi in F1 so far

Audi's start to life in Formula 1 has been underwhelming in points but not pace. With just two points from the first six races, the team sits ninth in the constructors' championship. However, the R26 has consistently been the seventh-fastest car, suggesting untapped potential undermined by reliability and operational mistakes.

Why it matters:

Audi's struggles highlight the steep learning curve for a new power unit manufacturer. If these issues persist, the team risks falling behind in the development race, wasting a competitive chassis. The ability to convert pace into points is critical for attracting future talent and investment.

The details:

• Unreliability: Three failures to start in 12 races. In Miami, Nico Hulkenberg's car caught fire on the grid due to a fluid leak, called a "simplistic" operational error by director Allan McNish.
• Technical infringements: Gabriel Bortoleto was excluded from the sprint for exceeding intake air pressure limits, attributed to high temperatures.
• Qualifying woes: Bortoleto had only one slow lap in qualifying after a brake problem caused a small fire, partly due to distraction from repairing Hulkenberg's car.
• Race issues: Hulkenberg suffered front wing damage then retired with a drivetrain overheating problem. Bortoleto drove to 12th, but likely would have scored points with a normal start.
• Car characteristics: A large turbo gives power but hurts responsiveness, causing poor starts and overtaking difficulty. ERS deployment is also inefficient.
• Learning curve: As a new manufacturer with only two cars, Audi lacks data from customer teams. Most problems are not recurring, indicating new issues each weekend.

What's next:

Audi is working on start improvements and has minor upgrades planned for Canada. McNish acknowledged the need to "tidy up" operations. Bortoleto urges patience: "When it will be fixed, I'm sure it will be good." With fundamental pace present, solving reliability could unlock consistent points scoring.