{"id":2720,"date":"2026-09-24T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2720"},"modified":"2026-09-24T08:05:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:05:19","slug":"audi-confirms-bortoleto-and-hulkenberg-will-remain-for-2027-f1-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/audi-confirms-bortoleto-and-hulkenberg-will-remain-for-2027-f1-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Audi confirms Bortoleto and H\u00fclkenberg will remain for 2027 F1 season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Audi has confirmed Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico H\u00fclkenberg as its drivers for the 2027 F1 season.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mattia Binotto said after Azerbaijan GP FP1 that there was no need for a major announcement because the line-up will remain unchanged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Audi\u2019s confirmation means 14 of the 22 places on the 2027 Formula 1 grid are now settled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Audi will retain Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico H\u00fclkenberg for the 2027 Formula 1 season, Mattia Binotto confirmed after opening practice for the Azerbaijan GP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking during a press conference attended by <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> in Baku, the head of Audi\u2019s F1 project dismissed any remaining uncertainty surrounding the German manufacturer\u2019s driver line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Binotto said that there are no changes when asked about Audi\u2019s plans for 2027. He added that there was <strong>no need for a major announcement<\/strong> because both drivers were already expected to continue under their existing agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The confirmation guarantees Bortoleto a third Formula 1 season and his second as an Audi factory driver. H\u00fclkenberg will also continue with the team he joined when it was still competing under the Sauber name in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audi chooses stability for second F1 season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Audi\u2019s decision reflects its satisfaction with the balance provided by its current pairing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H\u00fclkenberg offers extensive experience and technical feedback, while Bortoleto has continued to develop during his second year in Formula 1. The Brazilian has also played an important role in the development of Audi\u2019s first works car and power unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although speculation previously connected other drivers with Audi, Binotto repeatedly indicated that the team was happy with Bortoleto and H\u00fclkenberg. His comments in Baku turn that expectation into a direct confirmation for 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Audi remains in the construction phase of its Formula 1 programme and has set 2030 as its long-term target for competing for championships. Maintaining the same drivers allows the team to preserve technical continuity while concentrating its resources on improving the chassis, power unit and operational structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team introduced its <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/audi-brings-first-f1-upgrade-since-june-to-baku-as-midfield-fight-tightens\/\">first significant F1 upgrade since June at the Azerbaijan GP<\/a>. Bortoleto expects the package to help Audi challenge Alpine and Racing Bulls more consistently, although H\u00fclkenberg warned that Baku\u2019s unusual characteristics may conceal its full effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Confirmation changes the 2027 F1 driver market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Audi\u2019s decision also removes two more theoretical vacancies from the 2027 driver market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Binotto\u2019s confirmation, Bortoleto and H\u00fclkenberg were listed as expected to stay but had not received a conventional joint announcement. Their continuation means <strong>14 of the 22 seats are now effectively confirmed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/f1-2027-grid-after-red-bull-confirms-hadjar-12-drivers-signed-10-seats-open\/\">2027 F1 grid<\/a> now has fewer genuine openings than the official announcement count previously suggested. The principal uncertainties remain at Racing Bulls and Haas, while Fernando Alonso\u2019s future continues to determine the situation at Aston Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Audi, however, there is no longer any question. Bortoleto and H\u00fclkenberg will remain together as the manufacturer enters the second season of its works Formula 1 project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> follows every session of the Azerbaijan GP <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">LIVE and in REAL TIME<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time does the 2026 Azerbaijan GP start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race starts on <strong>Saturday, September 26, at 12:00 UK time<\/strong>. It begins at 07:00 ET and 04:00 PT in the US, 16:30 in India and 21:00 AEST in eastern Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who starts on pole for the Azerbaijan GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">George Russell starts from pole for Mercedes, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Isack Hadjar qualified fourth, followed by Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race was moved to Saturday because Sunday, September 27, is Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning. The entire F1 weekend was brought forward by one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who will drive for Audi in the 2027 F1 season?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico H\u00fclkenberg will remain Audi\u2019s Formula 1 drivers in 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mattia Binotto says Audi\u2019s unchanged driver line-up required no major announcement, confirming Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico H\u00fclkenberg for another season<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1001083009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"F1 2026, MIAMI, CORRIDA, AUDI, GABRIEL BORTOLETO, NICO HULKENBERG","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Leonid Kliuev\/Grande Pr\u00eamio","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":7,"location":""}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[160,330,208,209],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-2720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-audi","tag-f1-2027","tag-gabriel-bortoleto","tag-nico-hulkenberg","42wp_author-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2720","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2720"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2720\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2721,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2720\/revisions\/2721"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1001083009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2720"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}