Nico Hulkenberg Excited as Audi Makes Formula 1 Debut in Melbourne
Sunday at 12: 00 a. m. ET on March 8, 2026, Audi makes its Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, and nico hulkenberg — who qualified P11 — was publicly excited for the team’s first race. The timing is driven by Audi’s season opener coinciding with the RS 5 unveiling and race-week activations in the city.
Audi Revolut F1 Team unveiled the RS 5 at Albert Park Circuit
On Thursday evening at the Albert Park Circuit, drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto introduced the new Audi RS 5 as part of race-week activities. The RS 5 was presented just two weeks after its world premiere and is the brand’s first RS model with a hybrid drive, linking Audi’s road-car technology to the new generation of Formula 1 powertrains.
Audi showed a film in which the RS 5 ran around the Formula 1 track while connected to engineers in Mission Control, underlining the company’s technical integration between track operations and road-car development. The team established a public presence across Melbourne, including displays in the city center and promotional events designed to engage fans during the Grand Prix weekend.
Visitors at the waterfront AFLOAT bar saw several historic and show cars: Audi Tradition presented the legendary Audi R8 with its crocodile design and a show car version of the Audi R26. The AFLOAT bar opened Thursday and served as the team’s public headquarters, offering guests a place to watch sessions and meet team representatives opposite the pit lane exit.
Nico Hulkenberg: P11 in qualifying and enthusiasm ahead of Audi’s first Grand Prix
Nico Hulkenberg qualified P11 for the Australian Grand Prix and expressed excitement for Audi’s first race weekend. His P11 position in qualifying sets the grid spot heading into the race, and team messaging framed his comments as optimism that “it’s all to play for tomorrow. ”
Alongside Hulkenberg, the team’s roster and guest list highlighted local interest: Audi Revolut F1 Team welcomed visitors including Australian surfer Stephanie Gilmore and chef Guillaume Brahimi, who will be cooking for guests in the Audi Trackside Suite during the weekend.
Members of the Audi team also took part in community and development activities ahead of the race: Audi Australia hosted a networking lunch for “Girls on Track” to mark International Women’s Day, and several team members met participants to share professional contacts as part of the FIA initiative to promote motorsport careers for girls and young women.
Historic machinery and leadership underline Audi’s long-term plan
One historic Audi race car provided a spine-tingling moment for the team: Audi Tradition brought the crocodile-themed Audi R8 out of the museum for the Formula 1 debut; that Audi R8 won the “Race of a Thousand Years” in Adelaide on December 31, 2000, and one of the victorious drivers, Allan McNish, was behind the wheel in Melbourne as part of the team’s weekend activities.
Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG, framed the Formula 1 entry as the start of a new chapter for the brand. He said the start of Audi’s first Formula 1 season marks the beginning of a project that will test focused, precise teamwork and efficiency in a sport where every millisecond counts.
Audi has positioned this debut as the opening of a long-term commitment: the company aims to be in a position to compete for Formula 1 world championship titles from 2030 onward, tying the brand’s motorsport presence to its broader transformation on and off the racetrack.
The Australian Grand Prix will start Sunday at 12: 00 a. m. ET. If Audi’s development plan stays on course, the team expects to accelerate toward competing for world championship titles from 2030 onward.
