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Audi Racing Director Allan McNish has urged observers to reserve judgement on the team's progress until the end of 2026, following a deeply troubled Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix that laid bare just how steep the challenge remains for the sport's newest constructor.
The Sunshine State provided little warmth for Audi. The squad arrived in Miami with upgrades fitted to the R26 and genuine intentions to make a step forward — instead, the weekend unravelled through a combination of reliability failures and regulatory misfortune that left both drivers without meaningful results.
Nico Hülkenberg's race weekend was derailed before it had even properly begun, with his car breaking down on the way to the grid for Saturday's Sprint Race. Sunday's Grand Prix offered no reprieve — Hülkenberg spent the race managing a technical issue following contact with the Williams of Carlos Sainz, limiting any opportunity to demonstrate the car's true potential.
Gabriel Bortoleto's weekend ended in similarly painful fashion, as the Brazilian rookie was disqualified following a technical infringement — a bitter blow that compounded an already difficult set of circumstances.
Despite the adversity, McNish was measured and forward-looking in his assessment. The Racing Director — who recently explained why joining Audi was a 'no-brainer' decision — acknowledged that the upgrades brought to Miami were modest relative to what rivals introduced, but pointed to a significant package planned for Canada as the next meaningful marker.
"Canada is quite specific, and so is Monaco. In reality, those are pretty specific circuits — the same as Monza is a little bit more related towards Canada. But we do have things," McNish said.
"We had four upgrades in Miami — some front brake ducts — but small relative to what the majority of the competition had."
The Scot was equally keen to contextualise Audi's position within the broader arc of the team's development, reminding critics that this is still a squad finding its feet at the highest level of the sport.
"I think we've got to remember as well, this is race four for a new team. Sauber was there before, but it's also the integration of the Audi power unit into that system as well. Therefore, judge us at the end of the year."
For all the turbulence of Miami, McNish was clear that he retains genuine belief in the fundamental performance of the R26. He singled out Hülkenberg's qualifying effort — where the German managed to put himself on the edge of Q3 despite a compromised car — as evidence of real quality within the package.
"The raw pace of the car [was strong], and also, when you talk about Nico, I've got to say, from what he did with the problem to qualify on the edge of Q3 was pretty impressive and it showed his experience."
Looking ahead, McNish acknowledged that the competitive landscape will only become more demanding as the season evolves. The team cannot simply rely on its current baseline — development momentum matters as much as starting position.
"Certainly, we know that, like it always is, when you've got a new regulation for a new season and there are bigger gaps, those naturally close down. So the gaps that we can see — the likes of Williams improved their race performance in Miami, so it is going to get harder and harder. It's not as if we can sit on our pace, we have to improve in other areas as well."
"But ultimately, I think the underlying car performance, chassis performance, is really good."
McNish's belief in the project is genuine, and there are foundations to build upon. But Miami served as a stark reminder that for Audi, the road to competitiveness in their inaugural Formula 1 season will demand patience, resilience, and sustained execution — qualities that the team will be expected to demonstrate from Canada onwards.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.