Audi has been issued a warning ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix as it moves into the post Jonathan Wheatley era.
The beginning of Audi’s maiden season has been full of off-track drama, with the sudden and unexpected departure of Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley.
His exit threatens to derail the momentum building at the team, with drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto showing flashes of pace.
However, only Bortoleto has been able to score points following reliability issues for both cars, including a DNS for Bortoleto in China, demonstrating issues with Audi’s fledgling F1 operation.
Acting Team Principal Mattia Binotto issued a warning to the team that “clean execution” is now the priority heading into Suzuka.
“As we head into the third round of the season in Suzuka, the focus is increasingly on clean execution,” he said.
“Everyone, us as well as our rivals, is getting on top of the new cars, so the margins for error become slimmer. We’ve seen encouraging signs in terms of pace over the first two races, but we understand there are areas where we can still improve – both in performance and execution.”
Binotto confident Audi reliability issues addressed
Heading into Japan, Binotto is confident that the reliability issues seen by both drivers in the opening rounds have been addressed, with learning the main focus.
“We’ve taken time to address the reliability issues we faced previously, looking to ensure they won’t happen again and that both cars will be able to run their full races without disruption.
“The journey continues: the target now is to keep building, keep learning and make the most of every opportunity.”
Looking at the results from Australia and Shanghai, Audi has experienced a mixed bag. While Bortoleto has points to his name, his car failed in China before the start. A similar issue befell Hulkenberg in Australia, leading to just one car starting the opening two races on Sunday.
But Audi is still in its infancy, and to lose its Team Principal early may be a blessing in disguise, as it allows Audi to adapt to its new leadership.
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