Hulkenberg addresses Audi's second red flag of the week, sees 'positive steps'

After the RS26 stopped while being driven by Gabriel Bortoleto on Monday, Hulkenberg also caused a red flag two days later.

Reflecting on the problem Audi faced, the German said: "We had a slow start this morning with a technical issue that cost us a bit of time, but once we got going, it turned into a really productive afternoon with a good number of laps and valuable first impressions of the car.

"It’s still very early days - we’re only just scratching the surface. These new cars are incredibly complex, and there’s still so much to discover. It really is like working with a blank sheet of paper, but that’s the very exciting part of it," Hulkenberg added.

The experienced driver was positive about the day as a whole. He concluded: "The mood in the team is positive. Everyone’s motivated and happy to finally be running on track. Overall: It’s a solid first step!"

Audi still has a day to run at the Barcelona pre-season test, having completed two of the permitted three so far this week.

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the Formula 1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.

Don't forget to follow the latest episodes of F1 Paddock Update on Spotify as well!