Taking to social media at the end of what was a historic day for the German marque, Hulkenberg summed it up with a few simple yet meaningful words: “9th of January 2026 and the rings are rolling. Fantastic effort.”

The team-mate then added in a follow-up: “So happy to finally get this journey underway! First day on track with Audi.”

In line with filming day regulations, Audi’s two drivers shared the mileage equally, completing no more than 100 kilometres each as the team focused on initial system checks — from power unit functionality to the integration of all key components.

Ahead of the official unveiling scheduled for January 20 in Berlin, the German outfit has already offered an early glimpse of what to expect from its 2026 challenger.

The move underlined just how preliminary this version remains, with the final race-spec machine set to look markedly different when it lines up in Australia.