Frontal sideview of the Audi Revolut F1® Team car on the racetrack at the Japanese Grand Prix in Japan Suzuka

27 March 2026

2026 Japanese Grand Prix - Friday

Audi Revolut F1® Team gathers key data despite FP2 interruption.

Practice day at Suzuka

Audi Revolut F1® Team opened the Japanese Grand Prix weekend with a full programme across both Friday sessions, positioning itself once again close to the front of the midfield.

Across FP1 and FP2, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto focused on establishing a stable baseline for Suzuka. The circuit’s high-speed sequences and rapid direction changes placed a clear demand on balance and consistency, guiding the team’s setup work throughout the day.

Gabriel Bortoleto’s running in FP2 was interrupted by a technical issue, prompting a precautionary gearbox change. The stop limited his track time before he returned to complete further laps in the closing stages of the session.

Despite the disruption, the team completed the majority of its planned programme. The data gathered over two hours of running now feeds directly into overnight analysis, both trackside and at the factory.

Attention turns to qualifying, where execution and confidence through Suzuka’s flowing sections will define the outcome.

Nico Hulkenberg

R03 | Suzuka

FP2

1:31.441

+1.308

P07

FP1

1:32.798

+1.132

P12

Gabriel Bortoleto

R03 | Suzuka

FP2

1:31.933

+1.800

P16

FP1

1:32.759

+1.093

P11

1 / 0

Gallery

FP1 and FP2 are complete

Front three quarter view of an Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car on track at Suzuka, with the illuminated red Audi rings and black silver bodywork clearly visible.

Overhead rear view of an Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car cornering at Suzuka, trailing sparks across the dark asphalt beside the striped curb.

An Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car drives past the Suzuka Circuit Ferris wheel on a clear day, with the red and white wheel towering above the track.

An Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car sweeps through Suzuka behind a curtain of cherry blossoms, with spectators visible in the background.

Rear view of an Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car riding the curb at Suzuka, throwing bright sparks along the green, white, blue, and red track edge.

Detail of the Audi Revolut F1® Team rear wing with glowing red Audi rings, set against a red wall and a blurred team member silhouette.

Audi Revolut F1® Team mechanics working around Nico Hulkenberg in the cockpit, with his helmet visible as final adjustments are made in the garage.

Team member in a white Audi Revolut F1® Team jacket standing in the pit lane outside garage 39, with the Nico Hulkenberg garage banner above.

Close up of the Audi Revolut F1® Team car’s carbon fiber bodywork and red vented section under bright garage lighting.

Female Audi Revolut F1® Team engineer wearing a headset and standing side on in the garage, focused on the wall and her reflection.

"A solid Friday overall."

"We had two clean sessions, completed the full programme and built a good baseline. The car feels in a decent window, so it’s a positive starting point. The midfield looks very tight - closer than in the first two races - so it should be very competitive out there. We’ll review everything overnight, and the direction is clear with a good base to build on for tomorrow.”

“It’s been a bit of a mixed Friday."

"The morning session was pretty straightforward, but we identified an issue early on in FP2 and we made the call to carry out a precautionary gearbox change as the swiftest way to get back out. That meant losing some time in the garage, but the team did an incredible job turning the car around and getting me back out for the end of the session."

Gabriel Bortoleto

"I would like to say a big thank you to everyone for the effort and hard work. We still managed to get some laps in and gather useful insight, so we’ll take that and keep building from here, with one final practice session tomorrow before heading into Qualifying.”

Japanese GP