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German manufacturer Audi has decided against introducing further upgrades to its Formula 1 power unit for the remainder of the 2026 season, confirmed Racing Director Allan McNish.
After taking over the Sauber team and unveiling their first Formula 1 engine, Audi initially struggled to break into the top 10. However, at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, the team introduced a power unit upgrade which, according to Nico Hülkenberg, primarily delivered “better driveability,” addressing a known weakness of the R26 chassis.
Audi's progress has been evident since then, with the team scoring points in the last three rounds through Gabriel Bortoleto (8 points) and Hülkenberg (2), propelling them past Williams into eighth place in the Constructors' Championship.
Nevertheless, when asked about the timing of the next power unit upgrade, McNish responded: “That will be next year.” The reason is straightforward: adherence to budget caps.
“Everyone has to compromise on when to introduce upgrades – on the chassis and on the power unit – and also where to spend their money,” McNish continued. “Because you can’t spend it all at once, otherwise you won’t have anything left to fight with later. So expectations need to be managed, not just within one season, but across several consecutive ones.”
“From our perspective, with the opportunities for additional upgrades for less powerful power units, we immediately introduced something in Barcelona, which was a small adaptation, and that worked well, helping us move forward. I would say the bigger changes are for 2027. So we won’t see anything major on the power unit until then,” he added.
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