Audi has acknowledged its biggest weakness this season — poor race starts — stems from a structural flaw in the new power unit and cannot be fixed quickly by the FIA’s ADUO process. Acting team principal Mattia Binotto said fixing the deficit is a “top priority” but warned that “miracles are not possible.” The team notes ADUO provides structured concessions, ranging from a single immediate change for small deficits to larger allowances and extra dyno time for more serious shortfalls, but its quarterly checkpoints and long engine lead times make a rapid on-track cure unlikely. Reports vary on when the first ADUO review will occur; some suggest it could be considered at early-season rounds such as Monaco or Miami.

Audi engineers say the problem is hardware-related rather than down to clutch settings or driver reaction times. They point to a relatively large turbo compressor whose higher inertia delays boost arrival. That delayed boost forces the electrical part of the powertrain to cover torque shortfalls, burning harvested energy early in the lap and leaving the unit disadvantaged against rivals.

Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto was blunt: “starts have been terrible so far.” Both drivers lost places off the line in Japan — Bortoleto fell from P8 to P13 and Nico Hülkenberg from P13 to P19, turning promising grid slots into damage-limitation races. Binotto said Audi will pursue a staged recovery rather than chasing quick fixes and is targeting to be world-championship competitive by 2030; the team hopes only modest improvements may be possible during a five-week break and accepts that closing the gap to Ferrari and Mercedes will be a long-term programme.

Sources