Bortoleto: We changed the settings, and confidence has returned.

      As a result of Friday's practice sessions in Barcelona, the best Audi driver was Gabriel Bortoleto, who showed the 8th best time in the second session, although Paul Aron, the Estonian reserve driver for Alpine, also drew attention.

      Two teams reached agreements under which he drove Nico Hülkenberg's car in the first practice session and finished the session in 6th place on the timesheet, although it was his first experience piloting new-generation machinery on a real track.

      Gabriel Bortoleto (8th): "In the second practice, we definitely made a step forward, and that is encouraging. My first session felt a bit strange; I wasn't entirely comfortable behind the wheel, but during the break between sessions, we made several changes to the setup, after which my confidence returned.

      The balance improved, we had pace, and overall the feelings were much more positive, but in preparation for tomorrow, we still need to continue working on finding the fine-tuning..."

      Nico Hülkenberg (11th): "Overall, the day went well. I only had one practice session, and the priority was to complete the entire program and get the first impressions of how the car works on this track.

      We managed to do all of this without any difficulties. Closer to the evening, the weather conditions remained quite hot, which was to be expected in Barcelona, and that was another factor to consider. In the evening, we will analyze all the collected information, understand what options we have, and try to return to work tomorrow with a well-thought-out plan for the remaining days of the weekend."

      Paul Aron (6th in the first session): "My practice with the Audi team went very well. I had the opportunity to drive the 2026 car for the first time, and although we prepared very actively for this, nothing compares to the first experience of driving a real car. I had to absorb a lot of information and adapt to many things, but I am very pleased with how the session went.

      We fully completed the program, which was important for the team, and towards the end of the session, we showed competitive pace, which was a nice bonus. I am satisfied with my results, but more importantly, I was able to provide the team with all the information they needed.

      A big thank you to Nico for trusting me with his car – I tried to take care of it, and I am also grateful to Audi and Alpine for making all this possible. Every lap behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car provides very valuable experience. The week is shaping up to be very interesting, and I am already looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of this car in Austria."