Mattia Binotto says Audi's major upgrade package is delivering as expected at Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Audi Team Principal Mattia Binotto expressed satisfaction with the team's extensive upgrade package introduced at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, stating that initial data suggests the improvements are performing as predicted. The Hinwil-based outfit brought 14 new aerodynamic components to Baku, representing one of the most comprehensive update packages of the season.

The upgrade encompasses substantial changes across virtually every area of the car, including redesigned front and rear wings, a revised floor, new engine cover arrangement, and modified rear suspension components. Only Gabriel Bortoleto ran the new specification during first practice, allowing engineers to conduct direct comparisons with Nico Hulkenberg's baseline car.

Binotto emphasized that correlation between track data and factory predictions takes priority over immediate performance gains. The team's primary focus involves validating their development methodologies and manufacturing capabilities rather than solely pursuing lap time improvements. The most significant changes center on the floor and rear aerodynamics, where engineers have redesigned elements to work with the flatter underbody geometry required under current technical regulations.

Bortoleto finished tenth in first practice with the new package, just ahead of Hulkenberg, but both drivers struggled in the second session, finishing fourteenth and fifteenth respectively. Audi currently sits eighth in the constructors' championship, trailing Haas by just four points.