Audi's Miami Nightmare: Bortoleto Disqualified Amid Ongoing Engine Woes

Audi’s challenging weekend at the Miami Grand Prix has taken another hit, as their sole participating car in the sprint race has been disqualified following an engine technical infringement.

Gabriel Bortoleto had initially crossed the line in 11th place during Saturday’s sprint. He was the only Audi on track after his team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg, failed to take the start due to a mechanical failure. However, Bortoleto's result has now been erased from the standings because his engine’s intake air pressure exceeded the maximum permitted limit.

The FIA's Black-and-White Stance

During the stewards' investigation, Audi accepted that the FIA measured the intake air pressure to be above the allowed 4.8barA threshold. In mitigation, the team argued that this spike occurred over a single lap when temperatures rose higher than expected.

Audi explained that they subsequently "took steps to bring the car back in compliance." While the FIA stewards acknowledged these corrective measures, they firmly ruled that a Formula 1 car must remain in compliance with the technical regulations at all times. Because the car was not compliant throughout the entirety of the session, the stewards retained their strict, black-and-white stance on technical infringements, resulting in Bortoleto's immediate disqualification.

Mounting Reliability Concerns for Audi

The disqualification compounds a deeply troubling trend for the Audi squad. Hulkenberg’s pre-race mechanical issue marked the third time in just five events—spanning three grands prix and two sprint races—that an Audi driver has been unable to take the start due to engine problems.

Following the technical issues encountered during the sprint, it remains unclear whether the participation of either Audi entry is at risk for the upcoming qualifying session. The team now faces a race against time to ensure both cars are reliable and compliant.

Updated Miami Sprint Results

Following Bortoleto's disqualification, the updated Miami sprint results are as follows:

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +3.766s
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +6.251s
4. George Russell (Mercedes) +12.951s
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +13.639s
6. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +13.777s
7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +21.665s
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +30.525s
9. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +35.346s
10. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +36.970s
11. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +56.972s
12. Ollie Bearman (Haas) +57.365s
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +58.504s
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +59.358s
15. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1m16.097s
16. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) +1m16.691s
17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1m17.626s
18. Alex Albon (Williams) +1m28.173s
19. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) +1m29.597s

DNS: Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) DNS: Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) DSQ: Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)