DTM champion Rast announced as Abt's replacement at Audi

Audi Sport has confirmed that Rene Rast will contest the final six races of the 2019/20 Formula E season with it as Daniel Abt's replacement.

Last month, Abt was dropped by the German outfit after it was revealed he had brought in a professional sim racer to control his car during a Formula E virtual charity race.

MORE: Audi: Abt's dismissal a result of consciously breaking rules

Rast has one Formula E entry under his belt, having taken part in the 2016 Berlin ePrix weekend with Team Aguri, qualifying 13th but failing to finish the race.

Last year, Rast won the DTM championship with Audi, his second title in the German touring car series after winning the series for the first time in 2017.

The 33-year-old will now step into the Audi FE car for the rounds at Berlin, which will host the last six rounds of the season.

“I’ve been following Formula E very closely for a long time and am now looking forward to this new challenge,” Rast said.

“The demands on the drivers in Formula E are high: In addition to pure speed, it’s also a question of efficiency, battery management and the perfect strategy – and all of this on tight city circuits, where things are usually quite turbulent.

“But, with the testing at the beginning of July and my experience in the simulator, I’ll will try to be as well prepared as possible when I arrive in Berlin. And with six races in nine days, I’ll have plenty of opportunity to learn quickly.”

Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass added: “As a two-time DTM Champion and long-time Audi driver, René was naturally on the shortlist from the very beginning. In the past, he has often proved how fast he is in a new series without having to get used to it.

“It’s nice that there are no overlaps between DTM and Formula E so that René can compete in both series for us. With six final races in Berlin, our team still has everything to play for in the championship.”