Last-minute trip around the world: How Audi’s CEO…

If you had any doubts about Audi's commitment to Formula 1, have them no more. The four rings’ CEO Gernot Doellner made a somewhat unusual decision by flying to Melbourne for the opening race of the season, even knowing he would spend more time on the plane than on the ground in Australia.

And it wasn’t even a private jet trip. Doellner travelled on regular commercial flights to make the journey.

The decision marked a change of plans compared to what he had suggested only a few months earlier. Speaking last November during a press conference alongside F1's CEO Stefano Domenicali and Head of Audi F1 project Mattia Binotto, Doellner admitted his schedule might prevent him from attending Audi’s first race.

"My only worry is that my calendar doesn't allow me to be in Australia on the 8th of March," he said back then only to fit the trip into the schedule last minute.

Doellner indeed had other important commitments during the week of the F1 season opener, as he was required to attend the Volkswagen Group board meeting on Friday. Yet he still chose to make the long trip to Melbourne – perhaps to demonstrate the brand’s commitment to its new Formula 1 project.

The decision ultimately paid off. While only one of the Audis actually made the start – with Nico Hulkenberg’s car breaking down on the way to the grid – Gabriel Bortoleto not only finished the race for the new team, but crossed the line in ninth place, scoring two points on Audi’s debut.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team (Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images)

"I think we spent the winter focusing on ourselves," said team boss Jonathan Wheatley after the finish in Melbourne. "We wanted to come here and execute a clean race weekend. We had some encouraging testing, and we came here feeling reasonably confident in terms of the performance of the car.

"But if you'd have said to me, I could swap anything and give you P9 in the race, I would have taken your hand off earlier in the week. I think it's been a very encouraging first race for the team, a historic moment, Audi, Formula 1 car, scoring points in its first ever race.

"All in all, we can hold our head up high and say it's a good start to our journey."

For the brand, which entered F1 at what is widely considered the biggest challenge yet for power unit manufacturers, the outcome could hardly have been better – especially against the backdrop of the issues Honda is currently facing, despite having years of experience and facilities developed for Formula 1.

For Doellner, flying to Australia hoping to celebrate the team’s first points would have seemed overly optimistic – yet he still made the trip, knowing he would have to board a plane again on Sunday night to return to Germany.

On arrival, Doellner was reportedly exhausted from the journey and had even lost his voice. Nevertheless, he still travelled to Ingolstadt to address employees at the Audi factory, speaking about the importance of the Formula 1 programme for the brand.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team (Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images)

During the meeting he also explained what had happened with Hulkenberg’s car on the way to the grid and answered questions from employees about the team’s first race weekend.

The upcoming race weekend could prove just as important for Audi, with China representing the manufacturer’s largest market.