Audi target Budapest breakthrough as Allan McNish demands one final push before summer break

Back-to-back top-ten finishes have provided tangible evidence of the team’s recent progress. Audi now wants to carry that momentum into the Hungarian Grand Prix and end the opening half of the season with another points-scoring performance.

The results have rewarded development work taking place across Audi’s three operational sites. However, Racing Director Allan McNish insists the team cannot afford to ease off after finally converting its progress into championship points.

McNish said in the team's preview: "The recent races have shown the progress our team has been making, and it's encouraging to see that translated into concrete results. Back-to-back points finishes are a reward for the work going on across all three of our sites, but they also motivate us to keep working hard."

The Hungaroring presents a very different challenge from Spa-Francorchamps. Its tight corners, short straights and demanding sequence of direction changes place a greater emphasis on balance, mechanical grip and consistency.

McNish believes the final race before the shutdown offers Audi another important opportunity: "The Hungaroring gives us another opportunity to build on that progress and wrap up the first part of the season with another solid performance. Every weekend gives us the chance to learn something more about our car and improve as a team, and we want to make the most of one final opportunity before the break."

Nico Hulkenberg believes Audi showed enough potential at Spa to approach Hungary with confidence. However, the German stressed that execution will be crucial after recent problems prevented the team from maximising its opportunities.

Hulkenberg said: "The turnaround to Budapest is quick, which is a good thing. Spa is behind us now and the focus shifts straight to the next one. We showed enough last weekend to know there's potential, so the priority now is to put a clean weekend together."

Finding the correct operating window early will be particularly important at the Hungaroring, where overtaking remains difficult and qualifying carries considerable weight.

Hulkenberg added: "If we can get the car into a good window from the beginning and avoid the issues that have cost us recently, we should be in a good position to fight where we want to be. It's the final race before the summer break, so the focus is on getting the job done and giving ourselves something positive to take into the second half of the season."

Gabriel Bortoleto also arrives in Hungary encouraged by Audi’s recent results. The Brazilian believes successive points finishes have lifted morale throughout the team and strengthened belief in its development direction.

"Scoring points over the last two races gave everyone a real boost," revealed Bortoleto. "That's something we want to keep building on. We have been making progress over the last few weekends, and the aim now is to carry that into Hungary this weekend."

For Audi, Budapest represents more than the final race before the break. Another top-ten finish would confirm that its recent progress is becoming a consistent trend rather than a temporary improvement to a largely disappointing addition to the Formula 1 grid thus far by the German band.