Nico Hulkenberg executed a sharp comeback from 12th to eighth to secure four valuable championship points
Swift driver reactions allowed both cars to safely navigate a hazardous lap-one incident on a slick track surface
Gabriel Bortoleto demonstrated solid pace to recover to 13th, confirming strong team form on both sides of the summer break
Johannesburg, AUGUST 2026 – The Audi Revolut F1 Team carried its pre-break momentum seamlessly into the second half of the season, extending its points-scoring run to four consecutive races at the Dutch Grand Prix. Nico Hulkenberg spearheaded the effort with a brilliant drive to eighth place, capping off an eventful afternoon on a circuit bidding farewell to the Formula 1 calendar.
The opening lap brought immediate drama when slick conditions triggered a spin for Gabriel Bortoleto. Demonstrating superb vehicle control, Bortoleto expertly kept his car away from the barrier, while Hulkenberg relied on quick instincts to avoid a collision with his teammate. With both cars undamaged, the team reset for the restart.
Resuming from 12th, Hulkenberg staged an aggressive charge through the field, making decisive overtakes to seal an eighth-place finish and collect four crucial points. Meanwhile, Bortoleto mounted a determined fightback from 17th, navigating challenging track conditions to take the checkered flag in 13th.
The four-point haul brings the Audi Revolut F1 Team’s season tally to 16 points, closing the gap to seventh place in the Constructors' Championship.
Adding to the positive weekend, F1 Academy driver Emma Felbermayr delivered a standout performance earlier in the day, securing an excellent fifth-place finish in the feature race.
The team now turns its attention to the next round, intent on continuing its strong form as the European leg continues.
Allan McNish, Racing Director: “Overall, it was a very intense race, with the weather coming in at the beginning and the strategic questions that followed. The first lap incident was a little too close for comfort: Gabi had a spin on the banking at Turn 14 in the damp conditions, just behind where Verstappen crashed, with Nico directly following him. Thankfully, both cars were able to continue, so we were very fortunate there.
“After the restart, Nico was in a strong position in P12 and muscled his way through with some fantastic overtakes to put us firmly in the points in P8. From there, it was about controlling the gap to Gasly behind. I have to say, Nico’s race was superb today.
“On Gabi’s side, restarting from 17th meant it was always going to be very difficult, but he fought his way back as far as he could in very challenging conditions. We come away with four points on the board and our fourth consecutive race in the points, having recovered from a very difficult first lap. I think the team can be pleased with that, but we also know there is still quite a lot of work to do.”
Nico Hülkenberg (Car 27): “It was a very good race, although the end of the first lap was quite scary. I saw what was happening ahead of me and just reacted instinctively, so I was relieved to avoid the incident. From there, we had a clean race, a good strategy and some fun battles along the way.
“It feels good to come away with points today. They are important for us in the championship and give everyone in the team a lift, while also confirming that the work we are putting in is taking us in the right direction. It wasn’t the easiest weekend, so it feels even better to come away with a strong result and some valuable points today.”
Gabriel Bortoleto (Car 5): "It's been a bit of a disappointing end to the weekend for us. We had some issues at the start that unfortunately didn’t allow us to maximise our grid position; on top of that, once I saw the smoke for Max [Verstappen]'s car, I made a small steering correction and lost my car – thankfully, I managed to keep it out of the wall.
“The team did a fantastic job trying to put me in the best possible position to make it back up the field, so it's a shame we couldn't get the result we wanted, although it was good to see Nico bringing some more points home today. Our pace was good, and I was happy with how I felt with the car up until yesterday, so we'll take these positives and move on to Monza in two weeks."
