Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix produced another dramatic moment after Gabriel Bortoleto was unable to take part in Q3 despite securing the final qualifying spot.
The Brazilian driver had delivered a strong lap during Q2 at the Albert Park Circuit, finishing P10 and advancing to Q3, marking a major achievement for the Audi works project in the early stages of the 2026 season.
However, the celebration was short-lived. Shortly after crossing the line at the end of Q2, Bortoleto’s Audi R26 came to a halt at the pit entry, preventing him from returning to the garage under his own power.
Marshals were required to push the car off the pit entry, indicating the car could not restart or move independently.
Under Formula One sporting regulations, a car that receives external assistance on track or in the pit entry area is not allowed to continue in qualifying. Because Bortoleto’s car had to be pushed by marshals, he was therefore unable to participate in the Q3 session.
As a result, although he technically qualified for the final segment, Bortoleto will start Sunday’s race from P10, the final position allocated to Q3 drivers, without setting a lap time in the pole shootout.
The incident ended what had otherwise been a strong qualifying performance for the Brazilian driver, who outqualified several competitors and advanced further than many experienced drivers during the session.