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Audi Revolut F1® Team R26 on starting grid in Shanghai
14 March 2026

R02 | Qualifying in Shanghai.

Audi Revolut F1® Team firmly claimed a stake in the midfield battle with a solid performance in Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, with Nico Hulkenberg setting the 11th fastest time of the session.

0.002s from Q3.

Nico missed out on a spot in Q3 for the tiniest of margins, 0.002s, but will at least have the consolation of an additional set of tyres for tomorrow’s race. Team-mate, Gabriel Bortoleto, was 16th at the end of Q2 after his final attempt, in which he was improving his time, came to nought with an off-track moment at the final corner.

The team will now gear up for Sunday’s race, aiming to move forward and return to points-paying positions in the main event of the weekend.

R02 | Shanghai | Qualifying

NICO HULKENBERG

P11


Close-up of the Audi Revolut F1® Team cockpit and halo with the driver seated in the car.

R02 | Shanghai | Qualifying

GABRIEL BORTOLETO

P16

Close up of Gabriel Bortoleto in the cockpit of the R26 Audi Revolut F1® Team car on the racetrack of the Chinese grand prix in Shanghai

"I want to start by thanking the team for their hard work today."

“There was a big job list in the garage between the sprint and qualifying, not least fixing Nico’s car, and they did a great job of getting both cars ready in time for the session."

Jonathan Wheatley checking the track before Qualifying

Jonathan Wheatley

"It was also great to see Emma deliver a confident drive in the first F1 Academy race of 2026. Starting the race from P6, she carried out some great overtaking manoeuvres on her way to P3 and her first podium of the year."

Qualifying was reasonably straightforward, Nico maximised what was available from the car, delivering another solid performance to P11.

Gabi was on a good final lap but just pushed a little bit too hard in the final corner, ending up in the gravel.

Overall, a clean session for the team and our focus now moves to the race."

"The margins were incredibly tight today – just two thousandths separated us from Q3."

"Overall though, it was a clean session and we’ll take it from here. The focus will be on keeping things clean, avoiding mistakes and making the most of any opportunities in the race."

Audi Revolut F1® Team driver Nico Hulkenberg and crew members gathered on the race track

Nico Hulkenberg

"These cars are still quite new for us, so there’s a lot of information to take in after every session. We’ll go through everything tonight and fight hard tomorrow."

“Today, the car felt quite decent and I think we made some good steps in the right direction compared to yesterday."

“The Sprint was pretty uneventful for me: I managed to stay in the mix a bit, …

Sideview close up of driver Gabriel Bortoleto in full Teamwear and helmet from the Audi Revolut F1® Team at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai

Gabriel Bortoleto

"… but the Safety Car didn't make things easier – in any case, our focus was already set on Qualifying.

Towards the end of Q2, I was trying to extract a little bit more lap time and probably pushed a bit too hard on the entry. I lost the rear and when I caught it, it was already too late, so I ended up spinning.

It probably would have been tough to reach Q3 anyway: the lap was okay, but not quite what you need to get there."

Gabriel Bortoleto

"It’s not the position I’d like to start from, but tomorrow is a different story. We’ll start from where we are, focus on our pace, and try to do some overtakes."

P03 for Emma.

Earlier today, Audi Revolut F1® Team could celebrate its first podium in an official Formula One weekend, as Emma Felbermayr moved from sixth on the grid to third at the flag in the reverse-grid F1® Academy race. The young Austrian executed a last-lap move for P3 and looked fast throughout the race – a good indication ahead of tomorrow’s feature, in which she starts on the second row.

R02 | Shanghai | F1® Academy | Race 1

EMMA FELBERMAYR

P3

28:51.662 (+2.553)

PODIUM

Close-up portrait of Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, wearing a helmet inside the Formula 1 car.

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Emma Felbermayr hugging a team principal Jonathan Wheatley while wearing her racing helmet after a session at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Emma Felbermayr hugging a team member while wearing her racing helmet after a session at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Emma Felbermayr standing beside the Audi Revolut F1® Team car in the pit lane near the grid position marker during the Chinese Grand Prix.
Close-up of Emma Felbermayr wearing her helmet inside the Audi Revolut F1® Team cockpit during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
Emma Felbermayr seated in the Audi Revolut F1® Team car on the Shanghai grid surrounded by mechanics and team members.
Close-up of Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, inside the Formula 1 car cockpit during preparation.
Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, seated in the Formula 1 cockpit inside the garage preparing for track action.
Portrait of Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, wearing a racing suit and helmet during a Formula 1 test session.
Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car in the pit lane with Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, preparing to go on track.
Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car exiting the garage with Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, during a test session.
Front view of the Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car with Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, seated in the cockpit.
Rear three-quarter view of the Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car with Emma Felbermayr, Audi Revolut F1® Team Academy driver, seated.

This was our Qualifying in China.

Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car driving out of the garage toward the pit lane during race preparations.
Rear view of an Audi Revolut F1® Team Formula 1 car with glowing rain light inside the pit garage.
Audi Revolut F1® Team pit crew members working around the race car during garage preparations.
Audi Revolut F1® Team mechanic preparing the cockpit area of a Formula 1 race car inside the team garage.
Black and white close-up of an Audi Revolut F1® Team driver Nico Hulkenberg wearing a helmet before entering the car.
Audi Revolut F1® Team driver Gabriel Bortoleto seated in the race car cockpit while mechanics prepare the car in the garage.
Audi Revolut F1® Team driver Gabriel Bortoleto standing in the pit garage wearing full racing suit and helmet.
Black and white photo of an Audi Revolut F1® Team driver Gabriel Bortoleto adjusting his helmet and balaclava in the garage.
Audi Revolut F1® Team member Gabriel Bortoleto walking along a pit lane bridge walkway at a racing circuit.
Smiling Audi Revolut F1® Team member Nico Hulkenberg riding an e-scooter outside the paddock area at a race track.
Audi Revolut F1® Team member Nico Hulkenberg riding an electric scooter along a paddock walkway near a modern racing facility.
Two Audi Revolut F1® Team member and Gabriel Bortoleto walk across a bridge in the Shanghai paddock beside the water.
Nico Hulkenberg walks through the Audi Revolut F1® Team garage tunnel in Shanghai wearing sunglasses.
Audi Revolut F1® Team staff member stands in the garage tunnel in Shanghai with a headset around his neck.
Gabriel Bortoleto stands in the Audi Revolut F1® Team garage wearing his helmet during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.
Audi Revolut F1® Team pit wall team mamber Jonathan Weatley stands on the pit lane during preparations in Shanghai.
Audi Revolut F1® Team pit crew perform a practice stop in front of the pit wall during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend with Jonathan Weatley in the back.
Audi Revolut F1® Team crew stand beside the race car in the Shanghai pit lane during a pit stop rehearsal.
Audi Revolut F1® Team team member wearing a headset watches track activity from the Shanghai garage, with warm red light in the background.
Audi Revolut F1® Team car speeds through Shanghai, framed by the circuit grandstands and distinctive roof structures.

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