Audi arrives in Montreal looking to bounce back from a difficult Miami Grand Prix weekend, with Racing Director Allan McNish warning that the team cannot afford mistakes at the demanding Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The Canadian Grand Prix hosts another Sprint weekend under the 2026 Formula 1 format, leaving teams with only one practice session before Sprint qualifying. For Audi, still navigating the steep learning curve of its first Formula 1 campaign, preparation and execution will be critical.

McNish admitted Miami exposed areas the team must improve if it wants to unlock its potential more consistently.

He said: “Canada is always an exciting, yet demanding weekend: this track doesn't leave much room for mistakes and it's important to be sharp from the very first session.

“Miami was a tough event for us, but we knew there would be challenging weekends along the way in our first season. We must clean up a few areas and execute our race weekend well if we want to maximize our speed and potential.

“Sprint weekends put even more focus on preparation and making the most of all track time, so it's important we maximize every lap available in the only practice session on Friday," McNish concluded.

Montreal’s stop and go layout places a premium on braking performance, traction and energy deployment, while the Sprint format intensifies pressure on drivers and engineers from the outset of the weekend.

Hulkenberg: We have the potential to do well

Nico Hulkenberg believes Audi has the pace to compete more strongly if it can deliver a cleaner overall performance than it managed in Miami.

The German highlighted both the challenge and appeal of racing in Montreal, one of Formula 1’s most iconic venues.

Hulkenberg said: “Montreal is always a great event to come back to: It's an iconic track and the atmosphere around the city and circuit makes it a really enjoyable weekend.

“After Miami, the main thing for us is to reset quickly and put together a cleaner weekend overall. We know we have the potential to do well, but it's a matter of delivering from the start to the end of the event.

“Sprint events always make things more hectic, so it will be important to build our confidence early in the weekend and move forward from there," the Hulk concluded.

Gabriel Bortoleto also heads into the weekend optimistic that previous experience around the Montreal circuit can help him settle quickly despite the limited practice time.

Bortoleto looking to maximize every lap

The Brazilian said immediate confidence in the car would be crucial during another compressed Sprint schedule.

“I'm looking forward to being back in Canada,” Bortoleto said. “Montreal tends to deliver some pretty good races and the atmosphere around it, both at the track and in the city, always makes it a special weekend for drivers and fans alike.

“Having raced here last year, I'm quite familiar with how important it is to be comfortable with the car straight away, especially with this being a Sprint event.

“Our target is to put everything together more cleanly than we did in the last round and maximize the time we have on track from the start of the weekend," Bortoleto concluded.

After a frustrating Miami weekend, Audi now faces another important test in Montreal as the German manufacturer continues building experience during its first Formula 1 season.