News Summary
- Allan McNish believes Audi can be reasonably competitive in Baku, particularly through the circuit’s corners.
- Audi expects its main weakness to remain straight-line performance as teams prepare updates for Azerbaijan.
- McNish warned that the Azerbaijan-Malaysia-Singapore triple-header will be “intense and demanding” for everyone involved.
Audi is approaching the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with cautious optimism, but Racing Director Allan McNish believes Baku will begin one of the most demanding stretches of its first Formula 1 season.
Speaking in an interview followed by GRANDE PRÊMIO in Madrid, McNish said the characteristics of the Baku City Circuit should suit the R26 reasonably well through the corners. The obvious concern is the enormous flat-out section through the final sector, where Audi’s straight-line performance could leave Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg vulnerable.
“If we look at the average cornering speed in Baku, we should be OK in all three sectors. It’s no surprise that our main weakness will probably show a little bit more on the straights. But I think, overall, we should be in a reasonably good situation,” McNish said.
The assessment comes after Audi left Madrid with 1 point from Hülkenberg’s 10th-place finish. Rather than presenting Baku as an automatic opportunity, McNish stressed that extracting everything from the car will be particularly important as rivals continue introducing developments of their own.
“We were talking about how the other teams have brought upgrades as well, so we need to do everything as well as possible to extract the maximum from our car,” he continued. “That was actually one of the things I was quite pleased about with the race [in Madrid]: we managed to get the maximum out of the car.”
Baku starts a punishing three-race sequence
The timing makes Azerbaijan particularly significant. F1 has a weekend off before travelling to Baku on September 24-26, but there will be little opportunity to recover afterwards.
Azerbaijan begins a three-week run through Baku, Malaysia and Singapore, a sequence that was not part of the championship’s original plan. Bahrain’s postponement amid conflict in the Middle East led to Malaysia returning to the calendar in early October, placing it directly between Azerbaijan and Singapore.
McNish therefore sees the current break as an important opportunity for Audi personnel to reset before an unusually difficult period begins.
“Before Baku, however, we have a weekend off. We can recharge the batteries and get back into action,” he said. “And this run of three races is going to be difficult, with Malaysia and then Singapore. So I think it’s going to be quite an intense and demanding period for all the teams. And Baku will be the first of them.”
There is nevertheless enthusiasm about returning to Azerbaijan. Baku combines slow and medium-speed corners with one of F1’s longest full-throttle sections, producing a setup compromise that could expose Audi’s weakness while giving the R26 opportunities elsewhere.
“It’s also a track that, actually, most people quite like,” McNish added. “Certainly the drivers like it; they can get into a rhythm and enjoy themselves.”
Audi’s expectations also arrive at an important stage of its debut campaign. McNish has been Racing Director since the Miami Grand Prix and oversees Audi’s trackside operation, including sporting, strategy and driver management. The manufacturer described the first half of 2026 as a period of development in which it had already begun stringing together points-scoring weekends.
Baku now offers the next test. Audi knows outright straight-line performance remains a concern, but Madrid gave McNish confidence that the team is becoming better at extracting what it has. With a demanding triple-header about to begin, execution may matter almost as much as outright pace.
Formula 1 returns on September 24-26 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the 15th round of the 2026 season. GRANDE PRÊMIO follows all the latest news and developments through its F1 coverage.
FAQ
When is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place in Baku from September 24-26, marking the 15th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
What does Audi expect from the Azerbaijan GP?
Allan McNish believes Audi should be reasonably competitive through Baku’s corners, although he expects the team’s relative weakness on the straights to become more noticeable because of the circuit’s long flat-out sections.
Which races form F1’s next triple-header?
The next sequence comprises Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Singapore. Malaysia’s place between Baku and Singapore followed changes to the calendar after the Bahrain GP was postponed.
