The minute news broke that Ferdinand Piech, chairman of the Volkswagen Group's supervisory board and grandson of the original Ferdinand Porsche, and his wife Ursula had resigned their positions on the executive board of the world's number two carmaker, Formula 1 paddock optimists rubbed their hands in glee.
"Now Audi will, nay, must, enter the pinnacle of motorsport," went their refrain.
True, after decades of ruling various roosts in rallying, touring cars and sportscar racing, and most recently defeating allcomers in the first two rounds of the current World Endurance Championship season, Audi may have a thing or two to prove at the top level, particularly given its market competition Mercedes currently dominates the category.