(Motorsport-Total.com) – Audi will likely continue to compete in Formula 1 in the 2027 season with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. After rumors and speculation recently arose that Hülkenberg might lose his seat after the current season, the German now receives official backing.
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“To be honest, we can consider ourselves very lucky with Nico and Gabi because they complement each other excellently,” Audi racing director Allan McNish supports the current driver lineup (all drivers and teams for 2027 at a glance) of the Ingolstadt team. “They are at different stages of their careers.”
“With Nico, we have someone who has a lot of experience, still gets into the car, and delivers in the race. We have seen that several times now. Simply great,” adds the Scot, although Hülkenberg is still waiting for his first world championship points this season.
“And on the other hand, Gabi is getting stronger from weekend to weekend.” The 21-year-old Brazilian already collected two points at the season opener in Australia and finished eighth again in the points at the races in Silverstone and Belgium.
“I think we have found a good balance between the two,” McNish hints that Audi probably does not want to change the driver pairing for the upcoming season. “I believe it is the perfect combination for our current situation.”
Why Allan McNish is “an advantage” for Bortoleto
McNish himself, who took over the role of racing director at Audi after the departure of team principal Jonathan Wheatley, also sees himself in a position to especially support Bortoleto’s development. “I can’t teach Gabi how to drive a car; he already knows that,” says the Scot. “That is completely clear.”
“But there are definitely experiences I have had that he will encounter at some point in his career as well.” McNish completed his only Formula 1 season in 2002 for Toyota but remained without world championship points in the inferior TF102.
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His greatest successes, the now 56-year-old celebrated in endurance racing: in 1998, 2008, and 2013 he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans before crowning himself endurance world champion in the 2013 season. “And I think having someone by your side who has already been through all that is an advantage in such situations.”
“But as I said: with Nico and Gabi, we also have the situation that the drivers help and complement each other. So I don’t think Gabi necessarily just copies things from me. I think he learns from everyone on the team – including Nico.”
Gabriel Bortoleto “a real asset” for Audi
The young Brazilian has already proven his qualities several times this season, for example in qualifying at Silverstone: due to a technical problem, the Audi driver only had one attempt left in Q1. “That was a crucial moment,” McNish recalls.
“Because although there was a lot of hustle and bustle around him, he remained fully focused on getting that lap clean. And he manages to drive such clean laps quite consistently,” praises the Scot and highlights another strength.
“If I look at it a bit more generally, it is simply his infectious enthusiasm. He is a carefree guy and a real asset to the team,” says the Audi racing director. “He always has a smile on his face, and that is a huge plus for us. It just lifts the mood.”
For McNish, this exact mix is an important factor within the team. “In difficult races or on days when things didn’t go well, we had Nico, who pushed the team forward thanks to his experience,” he says. “And Gabi also pushes the team forward with his youthful enthusiasm.”
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