(Motorsport-Total.com) – The Monaco Grand Prix was already the fifth race in a row where Audi failed to score points. After the season opener in Australia, when Gabriel Bortoleto immediately collected two points, the Ingolstadt-based team has been stuck in a performance slump for several weeks.
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It’s no secret that Audi is struggling primarily with the powertrain. “Let’s put it this way: The powertrain is our biggest deficit,” Nico Hülkenberg admits again before this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona (here’s the complete schedule).
The question of the project’s long-term competitiveness is therefore closely linked to the development of the powertrain. It is therefore not surprising that Audi CEO Gernot Döllner recently clearly positioned himself against major interventions in the future engine regulations in Monaco.
ADUO as an important lifeline for Audi?
The adjustments planned for 2027 and 2028 now only foresee moderate performance increases for the internal combustion engine. Hülkenberg himself sees no structural disadvantage for Audi in this. “Not necessarily,” the German replied to the question of whether the Ingolstadt-based team faces the biggest challenge on the grid.
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“With ADUO (all background information at a glance), there are of course scopes and options,” emphasizes the Audi driver and reveals: “I know that medium- and long-term solutions are already being worked on at the factory – on various engine concepts.” Ultimately, the successful implementation of these solutions is crucial.
“I think we have all the possibilities. It just depends on how well we work together,” Hülkenberg said. “We’re in a decent position, competitive in the midfield. But if you look at the top teams and top cars, we’re not at that level yet. There’s definitely still work to be done on the chassis and the aerodynamic system.”
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