By: Seven points separate Audi from Haas in the Constructors’ Championship, but the gap does not fully reflect the relative pace on track. While the German team has inherited Sauber’s technical legacy, it has already reached a level of competitiveness in its first year as a works team with an in-house engine that allows it to consistently take on the other midfield squads. Reliability problems have been the main factor holding it back in the fight for seventh place.
Audi is, on average, quicker than Haas, although it remains behind Racing Bulls. The advantage is still slim, however, and the American team still has technical upgrades planned; just one tenth could be enough to reverse the order.
Hülkenberg makes the difference
One of the project’s main strengths is Nico Hülkenberg, who has often delivered performances beyond expectations. In Malaysia, the German stood out with a fine recovery drive, including a spectacular double overtake, while in Singapore he took seventh in the Sprint after keeping George Russell behind him for several laps. The driver’s experience is also valuable in the car’s development.
Gabriel Bortoleto’s season has been considerably less fortunate, with the Brazilian forced to retire on several occasions because of technical issues, particularly with the gearbox. As well as compromising potentially important results, those failures have cost valuable mileage and data for a team still building its technical project.
Seventh place remains possible
With 23 points to Haas’s 30, Audi can still make up ground in the final races. The substantial aerodynamic package introduced in Baku, featuring changes to the front wing, nose, sidepods and floor, confirmed the team’s intention to continue developing the car until the end of the season.
One significant fact remains: Racing Bulls, Alpine and Haas have already secured fifth- and sixth-place finishes, while Audi has yet to achieve an equivalent result.
Seventh place is within reach, but securing it will above all require weekends free of technical setbacks, allowing the team to finally exploit the car’s potential with both drivers.
