'The package is delivering as expected' – Audi reflect on new upgrade package after practice in Azerbaijan

Audi Team Principal Mattia Binotto believes the team's major upgrade package, which has been introduced ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, is "delivering as expected".

The Hinwil outfit ticked 14 category boxes on the FIA’s pre-weekend submission list of aerodynamic upgrades, which includes substantially changed front and rear wings, a revised floor, and a new engine cover arrangement amongst others.

As part of the correlation process, only Gabriel Bortoleto had the updates in FP1, allowing for a direct comparison with Nico Hulkenberg’s older spec car in Baku.

“If you look at the first, let me say, impression of the data, the package is delivering as expected,” said Binotto.

“Which is good, which is our main focus, as a matter of fact, for the weekend. For us, upgrading, yes, it’s important for the performance, it’s important for our fight in the championship.

“But again, for us, what’s more important is to make sure that the team is developing in terms of methodologies and capacity.

"So from being brave when it comes to mindset, to the type of aero concepts we may deliver, on the lead times, engineering, production, manufacturing, we raised the challenge.

"With the upgrade we have brought here, it doesn’t matter how much it will deliver in terms of lap time.

"I think what matters for us the most is having raised the challenge, having again pushed the system on whatever is mindset and lead times, and hopefully we’ll have a correlation which is right compared to the wind tunnel and the sim.”

Audi sit eighth in the teams' standings, just four points behind Haas, with Hulkenberg and Bortoleto having finished in the points at five of the last six Grands Prix between them.

Bortoleto was able to finish P10 in FP1 with the new package, just ahead of Hulkenberg, before the pair finished P14 and P15 in the second session.

“I think the car didn't feel amazing in FP2,” said Bortoleto.

“If I'm very honest, we're lacking a little bit of grip, still to understand why. I don't have answers for that.

“I guess that's Baku, low grip, super dusty. The track has not been cleaned, I think, for a few years now, and yeah, just we need to drive with this and then try our best.”