Audi has confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will remain its driver pairing for the 2027 Formula 1 season, extending a partnership that began this year into a third consecutive campaign.

The announcement came from Audi CEO and team principal Mattia Binotto ahead of Saturday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Rather than a fresh negotiation, Binotto explained that the team simply triggered existing extension clauses already written into both drivers' contracts.

"Happy with the lineup," Binotto told media, including RacingNews365, when asked about how the pair had performed this season. He added that there had been no real discussion needed about next year's plans because the drivers were already under contract. "We did not discuss what the proper plan is for the next season. Our drivers were contracted, so we knew that it would be no change," he said, noting the team saw no urgency to make a public announcement earlier since the outcome was already settled. "We have a confirmed lineup which we are happy with."

The decision comes during Audi's first season competing under its own name, having taken over the former Sauber operation in Hinwil, Switzerland, and entered F1 with its own power unit. Results have been steady rather than spectacular, but the team has picked up points in five of its last six grands prix, climbing to eighth in the constructors' standings. Bortoleto currently leads the internal battle with 10 points compared to Hulkenberg's seven.

Binotto framed the two drivers as serving different roles within the team. Hulkenberg, the more experienced of the pair, was praised for his reliability and race-day composure. "Nico is consistently delivering. When it comes to, especially the race, his consistency is robust, [making] very few mistakes, always exploiting the potential of the car, and scoring points wherever there is an opportunity," Binotto said.

Bortoleto, by contrast, is still viewed as being in a developmental phase. "Gabi, being more junior, is still in a learning phase," Binotto explained, adding that his confidence has visibly grown race by race. He pointed to Bortoleto's improving pace, occasional errors as part of that learning curve, and his strength in qualifying. "He is very fast in quali on a single lap when it matters, so overall I have to say that I'm pretty pleased," Binotto said.

With the lineup now locked in, Audi heads into the remainder of the season and beyond with continuity intact, betting on the blend of Hulkenberg's experience and Bortoleto's upward trajectory to carry the young manufacturer forward.

Source: racingnews365.com

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