Wheatley ‘proud’ of Audi’s progress as he hails team’s ‘bold and creative’ approach to pre-season testing

Audi team boss Jonathan Wheatley has admitted to an early feeling of pride over the operation’s progress ahead of their maiden F1 season, highlighting the “ambition, boldness and creativity” he has seen so far.

Audi are gearing up to debut in the sport after taking over the previous Kick Sauber squad, with the German automotive giants also designing and manufacturing their own power unit for the all-new technical regulations.

After becoming the first team to run their 2026 car and gathering some early data at the Barcelona Shakedown, Audi enjoyed a particularly productive week at the first official pre-season test in Bahrain, with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto racking up plenty of laps.

Asked about the Bahrain test appearing to be a step smoother than Barcelona, Wheatley said: “I’m encouraged that you’ve noticed that from the outside, because certainly internally, we’ve brought together these two groups of very, very talented people, chassis and powertrain, trying to knit them into a team in what’s been a very short winter.

“We haven’t even had the opportunity to get everyone together and have a beer, let alone a team-building event or something! So, it felt like it was very early stages in Barcelona, and towards the end of this week now it’s starting to really look like how an F1 team should operate inside the garage, at least.

“Also, the communication in the team. We’ve had a few high-pressure situations, we’ve been working on it, we identified some target areas last year, and so far it seems to be en route to where we want to be.”

He continued: “I think people focus a lot on the car when it comes to testing. We’re testing everything when we come here: your air freight systems, your logistics, getting people backwards and forwards, the operation in the garage, the communication to the driver, from the driver, between the team, your run plans…

“You have so many engineers at testing, so many more people than you have at races, and every single person needs to have their say, and you need to build that into a picture and a run plan the next day. It’s a big challenge, and it shouldn’t be underestimated.

“When I talk about the fact that we look more cohesive, I take a lot out of that. We changed the structure a little bit over the winter, certainly in engineering and operationally, and it looks like it’s bearing fruit.”

Audi were also one of few teams to bring a visible upgrade package to the first Sakhir test, with new-look bodywork getting the paddock talking – and bringing an early thumbs-up from experienced racer Hulkenberg.

“I think I’m almost proud of where we are,” Wheatley added. “If you look, we passed our crash tests, we were the first team to be on track, we ran in Barcelona with a brand-new powertrain, and we’re here with a new aerodynamic package.

“It shows the ambition of the team. I think also it shows the boldness and creativity, because nobody else has come up with this solution. I think it’s a good indicator that we’re serious, but we’re humble from where we’re starting.”