A technical concern minimize Audi’s day brief as Components 1’s pre-season testing bought below manner in Barcelona.
A five-day ‘shakedown’ is happening behind closed doorways on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with groups allowed three days of operating every between 26 and 30 January.
Audi took over the Sauber outfit to enter the world championship for the primary time within the German model’s historical past, coming in as a brand new energy unit producer as F1 revamps its engine laws to position better emphasis on electrical power.
Audi’s first F1 automotive, named R26, was first shaken down as early as 9 January at Barcelona. Nonetheless, the primary day of collective testing didn’t go nicely as Gabriel Bortoleto reportedly brought about a purple flag when he was struck by a technical concern round 11:30am native time, which ended Audi’s day after the automotive coated simply 27 laps – “a little bit of a brief day,” the Brazilian admitted.
“We had been doing a fairly first rate job within the morning, placing some labs onboard, testing some issues, we had been entering into the suitable route.
“However as all of us count on, this can be a shakedown and every part can occur, and we look forward to finding points right here and there within the automotive. And we discovered a few issues that sadly put us out of the day, principally, from the morning already. So I did not run actually a lot as we speak.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi
Picture by: Components 1
“It was anticipated, such a issues, , we’re discovering every part now to not hopefully discover it within the subsequent take a look at and even within the first race of the 12 months.
“Total, I’d say once we had been operating, constructive, good to have just a few [laps] with the brand new automotive, the brand new laws, energy unit and every part. So hopefully on the following day I am driving, I can get just a few extra laps on board.”
He added: “Relating to the stoppage on monitor as we speak, , as I mentioned, it was a precaution factor as nicely. And we determined to not run till we totally perceive, and to place the automotive again on monitor and have a transparent run.”
Audi didn’t specify what the issue truly was however insisted it could not reoccur, with a spokesperson for the staff stating: “We detected a difficulty and determined to cease the automotive on monitor as a precaution.
“We’ve got now recognized the difficulty and we’ll repair it for the rest of the week.”
Bortoleto too expressed confidence that the issue wouldn’t set the staff again for its remaining two days of operating at Barcelona: “It is small issues that we even anticipated to have already, .
“Sadly, it got here a bit early and we could not put every part in place to proceed, however we will analyse knowledge, we will perceive the way to not have these errors once more – or these points that we had within the automotive – and attempt to have clean days and loads of laps, as a result of that is what we’d like.”
Learn Additionally:
We wish your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Staff
